Dream deal too good to pass up
Newcastle Herald
Thursday March 31, 2011
THE most difficult thing to get your head around may be the belief that if something appears too good to be true, it probably is.Normally that's an outlook that will hold you in good stead, but only if you recognise that there are exceptions to every rule.I'm not a Knights member, they are not my first team and I have never met Nathan Tinkler, but I eagerly await the result of tonight's vote concerning the Tinkler Sports Group proposal.Like so many rugby league fans, I love the way Newcastle approach and play their football and the culture that has always permeated through the club. The vital role that they played during the debacle that was Super League will also never be forgotten.So I read with great interest through the offer that has been presented and will be voted upon by a mere 3000 members on what is as significant a night as the Knights have experienced.In my humble opinion, for want of a better description, it is a "no-brainer".Obviously the standout feature is the financial security being offered and the opportunity to start with a clean slate.Tinkler will underwrite sponsorship for $10 million a year for 10 years, and no club in the competition is anywhere close to being in such an enviable position.Despite the guarantee, the difficult job of raising revenue will continue in earnest and still be vitally important. It is a pursuit certain to become increasingly tough for each and every club.If things go awry for Tinkler and he loses his Midas touch, it is only right that the members' club be able to buy the new Knights entity for the nominal fee of a dollar.Money aside, if I was a dyed-in-the-wool Newcastle fan, there are other crucial aspects that I would need to have addressed.My biggest concern would be that if control was transferred elsewhere, am I always going to have a team to go and watch?We are not in the United States, but there is a fear which goes along with private ownership that there is the possibility, no matter how remote, that the team could be upped and moved.The supporters of the National Football League Oakland Raiders probably never thought that their team would be playing out of Los Angeles for more than a decade.That's not part of our sporting landscape yet, but, as a fan, knowing that the Knights will always carry that name, wear the same colours and be based in Newcastle is as important as any balance sheet.I believe that privatisation is the future of our sport and may well be the avenue that keeps it alive.The sponsorship dollar will be much more difficult to secure and the days of poker machines being our lifeblood are all but gone.I have enormous respect for George Piggins. He is one of the most honest and principled individuals you would ever meet.But the bottom line is that if George had his way, the great South Sydney would no longer be part of our competition.Love him or hate him, Russell Crowe was the saviour that the Rabbitohs had to have if they were to avoid joining the likes of Newtown and North Sydney watching from the sidelines and reminiscing over past glories.Don't forget, the cardinal and myrtles were basically kicked out of the NRL for 2000 and 2001.If there is one thing that does not exist in professional sport, it is sentiment.If the proposal achieves the required 75 per cent vote tonight and TSG takes control, the one thing that must be avoided at all costs is Tinkler getting involved with the mechanics of the playing squad.Despite the size of his financial and emotional investment, he cannot be a pseudo coach or selector.There will be major problems if he steps into this domain, where he does not have the necessary expertise.Certainly, I would imagine that his opinion should be sought when it comes to the possible recruitment of players, but anything else to do with on-field matters is a no-go area.I'm not saying that Newcastle are in as dire situation as Souths were when they failed to be readmitted to the competition, but we all know what a difficult battle it has been for the Knights for many years.We wait with bated breath to see if members tonight believe this opportunity is the light at the end of the tunnel or a case of smoke and mirrors.PETER STERLING CAN BE HEARD WITH DAVID & TANYA EVERY FRIDAY MORNING AT 7.20 ON 102.9 KO FMI believe that privatisation is the future of our sport and may well be the avenue that keeps it alive.
© 2011 Newcastle Herald
