The National Rugby League’s 16 clubs "have put an end to veiled threats of a breakaway competition and unlocked the door" to a A$48M ($35.2M) broadcasting windfall "after agreeing to sign memorandums of understanding" with the NRL aimed at finalizing some of the game’s "most contentious issues," according to Brent Read of THE AUSTRALIAN. It is understood the parties "will discuss the finer details of the agreement" at a meeting involving club chairs and CEOs in Sydney next Thursday. However, the clubs believe that by signing MOUs over the "key issues" for the future, "the NRL will respond with a good faith agreement" to pass on the bulk of the A$50M ($36.6M) advance due to the NRL over the next two years "as part of an upgraded broadcasting deal with Foxtel and the Nine Network." While all 16 clubs have agreed to sign the memorandums, "it is understood the Sydney Roosters and Canterbury insisted that a clause be added stressing it was not a binding agreement." The funding advance will come at a "critical time for several clubs," most notably those who have been "relying on the largesse of the NRL to survive." Newcastle and Gold Coast "suddenly become much more attractive propositions for potential investors with an influx of cash" while Wests Tigers and St. George Illawarra are "knee deep in negotiations over their ownership" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 5/13).
