ANNUAL REPORT 2016 2016 HIGHLIGHTS RECORD RATINGS AND 55% GROWTH 3.6M ATTENDANCE MORE AUSTRALIANS 4 OF THE TOP 5 RATED in sponsorship revenue year-on-year at elite Rugby League games FOLLOW THE NRL TV PROGRAMS on Facebook than any other Rugby League watched by more 327,000 NRL CLUB GLOBAL GOVERNING BODY OF sporting code or team Australians than ever before AND STATE MEMBERS THE YEAR AWARD WINNER More than ever before at the Beyond Sport Awards $1.85B COMMITTED NEW SKY NZ PARTNERSHIP for our School to Work program by NSW, QLD and Federal Governments takes total media rights value for BALL IN PLAY TIME INCREASED for new and refurbished stadia in 2018-2022 to $1.9b along with Nine, by 97 minutes over the season INTRODUCED Sydney and Townsville Fox Sports and Telstra partnerships WORLD-LEADING $220M RECORD DISTRIBUTION TECHNOLOGY HISTORIC PERTH TEST MATCH to Clubs, States and Game Development with the The NRL Bunker watched by a sellout crowd 2 NRL ANNUAL REPORT 2016 // HIGHLIGHTS 3 CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN 06 QLD RUGBY LEAGUE 58 THE ARL COMMISSION 10 NRL ACROSS AUSTRALIA CEO REPORT 12 AFFILIATED STATES 60 03/DEVELOPING OUR GAME 62 01/PLAYING OUR GAME 16 INTEGRITY & GOVERNANCE 64 NRL TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP 18 NRL SOCIAL MEDIA & FOOTBALL 20 DIGITAL CONTENT 66 HOLDEN STATE OF ORIGIN 22 NRL DIGITAL MEDIA / THE AUSTRALIAN KANGAROOS 24 TELSTRA PARTNERSHIP 67 HARVEY NORMAN JILLAROOS 26 04/OUR COMMUNITY 68 SPECIAL EVENTS 28 THE NRL COMMUNITY 70 WOMEN IN LEAGUE 30 RUGBY LEAGUE IN THE PACIFIC 76 OUR PLAYERS 32 MEN OF LEAGUE 77 TOUCH FOOTBALL 36 MATCH OFFICIALS 37 05/ LOOKING FORWARD TO 2017 78 MILESTONES 38 ON THE FIELD 80 2016 DALLY M AWARD WINNERS 40 OFF THE FIELD 83 2016 RETIRING CLASS 42 2016 VALE 44 06/FINANCIALS 84 FINANCIAL RESULTS 2016 86 02/DELIVERING OUR GAME 46 FINANCIAL SUMMARY 92 NRL CLUBS 48 COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS 07/CONCISE FINANCIAL REPORT 98 AND MAJOR EVENTS 50 SUPPORTING CLUBS, MESSAGE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN STATES & AFFILIATES 54 SPORTS COMMISSION 112 NSW COUNTRY RUGBY LEAGUE 55 OUR PARTNERS 114 NSW RUGBY LEAGUE 56 w 4 NRL ANNUAL REPORT 2016 // CONTENTS 5 I think it’s fair to say that On the field, the NRL Telstra Away from the elite competition, 2016 had its ‘ups and Premiership was again shown to participation in all areas of the game be one of the closest, most exciting other than registered male contact downs’ for the Australian and most entertaining competitions numbers grew strongly. This area, Rugby League Commission in the world. We should all be proud which is the feeder to our elite male and the game more broadly. to be a part of this great game. competitions declined two per cent, Congratulations to the Cronulla- a trend that started three years ago. Sutherland Sharks, our 2016 Premiers. Through the State Leagues, this must While almost all aspects of the In 2016: be a key focus in the years ahead. football side of the business improved, the off-field player and Club issues » Television audiences rose by With the inspirational Jillaroos now and the conflict between the 14 per cent, equating to more than firmly on the same stage as the governing body and the NRL Clubs 14 million additional viewings Kangaroos, women’s participation and State Leagues over funding and » NRL premiership attendances remains the fastest growing area governance is something I would like increased one per cent over the of our game. to think we can minimise in the future. prior year, a very solid result given It is also pleasing to note that almost the transfer of a Friday night fixture ten per cent of grassroots players to Thursday hail from Aboriginal and Torres Strait » NRL Club and State memberships Islander backgrounds. were up 11 per cent and for the first The Commission remains focused on time, every NRL Club recorded more world-class facilities for our game. than 10,000 members » 25 per cent increase in Official NRL In June, Rugby League Central app audience from 2015 Queensland was officially opened as the home of Rugby League in the » While we clearly have more work to Sunshine State. This state-of-the- do to optimise adjudication of our art facility houses NRL, Queensland game across refereeing, The NRL Rugby League, Queensland Touch Bunker, match review and judiciary, Football, Men of League and 2017 the objectives we had to arrest the Rugby League World Cup staff and is declining trends in number of tries a central hub for growth of the game and line breaks, ball in play and throughout Queensland. video decision times were achieved and added to the closeness and Construction of a Centre of Excellence speed of games across the season. is underway in New South Wales. It will be home to the NSW Blues, together State of Origin remained at the with members of the NRL, Men of pinnacle of global sporting League and other stakeholders. competitions. Together with the MESSAGE FROM Grand Final, the three-game series constituted four of the five most watched programs on television THE CHAIRMAN in 2016. JOHN GRANT 6 NRL ANNUAL REPORT 2016 // MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN 7 Recently the NRL, QRL and Off the field, in March the Commission I would like to acknowledge the Queensland Government have announced a new Chief Executive contribution made by Ian Elliot, who committed to a new Footy Facilities in Todd Greenberg. Todd is an stood down from the Commission in Fund from 2017 to help deliver local experienced operator within Rugby 2016 after four years as Commissioner. Rugby League infrastructure projects League and sport in general and his In August 2016 we welcomed Dr Gary to promote participation growth. strong leadership will be critical in Weiss as a new Commissioner. Gary the years ahead. brings an impressive mix of business It was also pleasing to announce and sporting experience to the a minimum of $3 million facilities Together with the Commission, Commission. I would also like to thank funding for Rugby League outside Todd and his Executive team have Jeremy Sutcliffe and Graeme Samuel Queensland and New South Wales. a strong and inclusive plan for the who will retire from the board prior to This funding will support a range future of our game simply expressed the 2017 Annual General Meeting after of grassroots projects, ultimately as ‘more people watching more five years and three and a half years ensuring the game spreads its people playing’. They will work with respectively. The support they have presence to more places and on the game’s full range of stakeholders given to the Commission and to the NRL more levels than ever before. to deliver this promise in 2017 management team and the significant and beyond. I was delighted to be a guest in contribution they have made Samoa in October last year and In 2017 the Commission’s immediate particularly in terms of the outcomes witness strong performances by priorities are to: we have achieved in broadcast, funding the next generation of Australian and stadia leave a substantial long » Implement the funding model Country Rugby League players. The term legacy for the game. and governance improvements Commission is determined to see agreed with the NRL Clubs and Finally, thank you to our fans and more games, more opportunities and State Leagues our broadcast and commercial more visits by NRL Clubs to regional partners for your continued support and rural parts of Australia and the » Capitalise on the opportunity we of our game. Rugby League remains Pacific where Rugby League is have through the new agreement in fantastic shape across all levels a lifeblood to so many. with Telstra to significantly advance our game’s digital presence because of you. Finally, when we appointed Mal » Accelerate growth in commercial Meninga as Kangaroos coach, we set John Grant revenues him a broader goal to drive long-term ARLC Chairman excellence in the Australian men’s, » Working with the State Leagues, women’s and elite junior teams. grow the game from the base up through well-structured and well- He has met our expectations by administered participation options guiding Australia to a successful and competition pathways Four Nations tournament and back to » Working with our Clubs, provide number one world ranking. He is also an exceptional experience for creating a new culture in the national members and fans at games team which will hold us in good stead and through the broadcast. for the future. We now turn our attention to preparing the Kangaroos and Jillaroos to achieve the ultimate goal of dual Rugby League World Cup titles when Australia and New Zealand host the 2017 Rugby League World Cup in October – December this year. 8 NRL ANNUAL REPORT 2016 // MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN 9 THE ARL COMMISSION The ARLC is the single controlling » Promote and encourage either » Monitoring and reviewing the body and administrator of the game directly or indirectly sport and organisation’s talent, remuneration, and its responsibilities are set out in recreation, particularly Rugby performance and reward its Constitution. They are to: League football, in the interests of framework; and the social welfare of young persons. » Foster, develop, extend and provide » CEO and executive management adequate funding for the game succession planning, including from the junior to elite levels and Board Committees making recommendations to the generally to act in the best interests Risk, Investment and Audit Committee Commission regarding recruitment of the game; (RIAC) and selection. » Liaise with and delegate appropriate The key responsibilities of Committee members: Chris Sarra functions to governing bodies of the RIAC include: (Chair), Cathy Harris, John Grant.