@Cultured_Bogan said in [Joey not a happy chappy\.\.\.\.\.](/post/1132160) said:
Absolutely right regarding the NRL, it highlights squandering of a lucrative TV deal they spunked their trunks over years ago. However in saying that, the other sports noted like the EPL, NBA et al are not just regional sporting codes: they are a worldwide brand which are renowned the world over which enables them to draw on infinitely larger funds than the likes of the NRL, so it’s not directly comparative.
Countless other businesses will fall over if they were in a position where they had to suspend operations for 3 months as well, so it’s not just limited to the NRL.
I think this is the crux of the argument.
I'm not putting the boot into the NRL for staring down the barrel of insolvency if it can't sell its product for months on end. That is true of many big brands right now - QANTAS, Myer, Flight Centre, Hoyts etc. Every company is facing the question of how long they can afford to hold onto their workforce if no funds are coming in. What are Foxtel going to do if NRL and AFL cancel?
If NRL do what QANTAS have just done, and temporarily lay off staff, they'd have no trouble at all continuing regular head-office operations for a significant period. I have no idea on the outgoings that they'd still be obliged to fund wrt stadiums, insurance etc. But if the clubs aren't having to pay players, that is a very significant cost wiped away.
But it's the same question facing most businesses right now - if you lay people off and everything goes back to normal, can you put your capacity back up at the same rate? What about your moral obligations to your employees during a crisis?
So I think it's misplaced to attack the NRL for not being in a better financial position to endure the coronavirus. Nobody was totally prepared for coronavirus, not even the countries that suffered with SARS and MERS in the last 20 years. Especially not companies that rely on huge regular monthly revenues.
I don't think many large businesses would have business continuity protocols to manage months without sales in the face of a pandemic. That will almost certainly change when coronavirus gets under control. I can tell you from personal experience, I've been involved with my company's business continuity protocols and they are mostly around the idea of natural disasters or physical damage to premises - if offices are closed, or documents are damaged, or servers go down, or staff are at physical risk. We never dealt with the concept of viral pandemic or financial solvency, that's not something we really did (or even could) plan for. I mean, how does one really plan for the zombie apocalypse?
And specifically for the "faces" of the NRL - V'landys and Greenberg, they've been in the job for about 4 years and 6 months respectively. The ARLC itself is 8 years old. You can't heap 112 years of history on the incumbents. The $30M surplus of 2019 is pretty good, they weren't to expect a global pandemic; they aren't to be expected to stockpile for a global pandemic. Imagine if rugby league really and truly had $400-500M stashed away for a "rainy day". Like @Bula said, could you imagine the cash-grabbing frenzy of the clubs, players and RLPA if they knew the NRL was sitting on half a billion?
AFL has assets, their money is stored away - but that's not going to do you any good in a crisis either. Only cash assets are reliable at this time - property, stocks, bonds - all totally unreliable and potentially worthless during a severe crisis. Even cash becomes pointless if you reach the point of anarchy. For all the envy some league supporters might have for the AFL coffers, I don't think the AFL is capable of going months without playing games either.
