WARL warn Perth: Jim Beam Cup support is crucial for NRL bid

Bill Nosworthy has a sound warning for the people of Perth, support the Reds in the Jim Beam Cup and the likelihood of NRL games increases, don't and the foundations of WA Rugby League are in jeopardy.

Nosworthy, speaking to Austadiums.com, talked about the plans for the new Jim Beam Cup and suggested that corporate support will only come when the general public legitimise the team.

"We need to gain public support before we get the corporate support...The Force have become successful, because they have had public support and this has proven attractive to the corporate market".

It's for this reason why it's absolutely crucial that the people of Perth support the NRL bid, particularly when Nosworthy noted that the NRL are generally hesitant of granting NRL teams. "The number one issue, even with the Gold Coast, was grass roots support, the biggest objection (for granting a license) was grass roots support".

Thus support for the Reds is crucial, South Sydney coming over will bring more exposure to League out west, which apparently are walk up attendees. "Rugby League watchers are generally match day watchers...we really do not know what the average will be".

While WARL are budgeting for crowds of 2000 they are hoping that with a bit of success they hope to gather a Perth Glory type crowd.  "We are budgeting 2000, but we would hope to get to a Perth Glory type crowd".

Nosworthy believes that part of the reason of South Sydney coming to Western Australia was the desire of the AFL to move into Western Sydney and Gold Coast. "It was partly the reason...the NRL have not funded any of it to my understanding".

Accordingly Peter Bauchop who is bidding to have South Sydney play at Members Equity Stadium said that South Sydney can see the revenue potential. "They have seen our market and also Peter Holmes A Court has a general affinity to Western Australia".

The WA Reds will be a separate board and budget to the WARL, so the grass roots will not suffer and will be completely separate to the functions the WARL do in running the code in Western Australia.

However with aggressive ambitions, comes a price. Nosworthy admits that financially, the WARL are suffering. "Peter Bauchop and Allia have been terrific in listening to our concerns...what our argument would be is that the KPI's Allia and Town of Vincent have set are too high".

"It is way too high for a state organisation to pay. Minimum license fee of $6000, small commission of food and beverages...If you look at the stadium how many community events are held here? Lacrosse were going to come here, but they can not afford it, Rugby Union curtain raiser before the spirit game ran at a loss...it just needs to be affordable".

Bauchop explains that they set the costings at the lowest level of the KPI figures of 0.5% and that it loses money on holding the games which are subsidised by the hire prices that major concerts spend at Members Equity.

"We would have to play 200 games a year to get any revenue from Rugby League...we have been independently assessed by Escom as doing more for our tenants than most other stadium's in the country...and that we should be losing money on the rights we have given to them".

Bauchop advises that WARL needs a large money spinning event that will bring much needed cash to the table "What I would suggest to the WARL would be to bring an event that would be a money maker for them".

While he believes that larger government grants to emerging sports would help, Bauchop suggests that the commercial reality means that the costs would not get any cheaper anywhere else.

"You have got to take the step up to a semi professional level...the reality is you are playing at a stadium not a park".

Nosworthy said that membership is not running as fast as expected, which they claim is mainly due to the nature of League supporters, deciding on game day. Yet he noted that the dependence on the Rugby League supporters to go was integral for the viability of the sport in Western Australia and any possible NRL teams.

"It is a lot slower then what we expected, but League supporters are generally not membership based supporters... However we need to make sure we get the grass roots support, to show that we are legitimate to the corporate world".