After a "month of turmoil," Australian Rugby League Commission Chair John Grant "staved off the executioner's axe when a compromise was finally reached" with the 16 National Rugby League clubs over their share of a A$1.8B ($1.31B) broadcasting deal, according to Margie McDonald of THE AUSTRALIAN. Grant will "keep his place at the head of the sport's governing body" until Feb. '18 after the clubs "got what they wanted:" a grant equivalent to 130% of the salary cap. However, the clubs will "have to use a portion of that money to contribute to a sinking fund designed to bail out clubs in crisis." Clubs spokesperson Bart Campbell, the chair of Melbourne Storm, said that "the funding resolution should not be seen as Grant trying to save his own neck." Campbell: "That's very unfair because the commission has some very serious adult business people on there. They're not going to let John Grant buckle to save his skin." Campbell said that there was "only a finite pot of money but that the 16 clubs and the commission had each adopted a give-and-take attitude and worked out a funding mechanism everyone was happy with." Campbell added, "Clubs should be self-sufficient. The parties worked together to achieve an outcome." There were no specific details on the new arrangement, which will spread the broadcast cash between '18 and '22, because "the crucial element is missing:" what the salary cap will be from '18. The cap for next year is just over A$7M ($5.1M) but is "due to rise" to more than $9M ($6.5M) in '18 (THE AUSTRALIAN, 12/21). In Sydney, Adam Pengilly reported "a potential arms race on football department spending is set to be stymied after a compromise was reached on how much each club can spend outside the salary cap" in areas such as coaching, recruiting and centers of excellence. The "common ground" between the ARLC and the clubs was found after the majority of "tight-lipped" chairs exited "exhausting talks" with no comment to the waiting media shortly after 5pm on Tuesday. Clubs are still "tipped to be given the two seats on the ARLC they were seeking" and South Sydney Rabbitohs Chair Nick Pappas "heads up the club's constitutional committee to examine a potential new model." Grant's relationship with NRL CEO Todd Greenberg has been the subject of "much debate" and the chair did not "front the media after working overnight to soothe relations between head office and its clubs." Greenberg conceded the "very public spat over summer could have been handled better, but progress has been made" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 12/20).
