National Rugby League side Cronulla Sharks CEO Lyall Gorman revealed he "could sell a staggered sponsorship at the Sharks which would rely on the club backing itself both on and off the field in order to receive a better financial deal," according to Stuart Honeysett of THE AUSTRALIAN. The Sharks "have not had a long-term major sponsor since electronics company Hisense ended its association at the end of 2011." Making a sell to potential corporate backers more difficult is the ASADA investigation into the use of banned supplements "which overshadowed the club for the past two seasons." Gorman "used a similar staggered sponsorship ploy during his stint as chairman of the Western Sydney Wanderers." Under the scheme the club "could sell a sponsorship for a set amount in the first season but that amount would climb significantly over the life of the deal if certain key performance indicators, including memberships, televised games and crowds, were met." Gorman said, "It’s something we’ve done in football where you agree to a certain base commitment to each other and a partnership model. Then you look at putting milestones in place that are relevant to the partner and that drive the business so you get a win-win" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 2/17).
