WHY GAME WAS UP FOR TITANS
How poor performances on and off the field left proud club on brink of collapse
THE poor performance of players both on and off the field was a key factor in the collapse of the Titans leading to intervention by the NRL, according to administrators.
A 50-page report by joint administrators Rob Moodie and Greg Parker found the company’s revenues were “largely a reflection of the Gold Coast Titans team in the NRL competition”.
While many factors have been previously identified and made public – including lack of sponsorship, the high cost of hiring Robina stadium and failure of shareholders to put in more money – the spotlight has never been put on the players themselves.
“Poor on-field performan- ces over the last four seasons have impacted on revenues adversely,” the Moodie-Parker report said.
Statistics show that when the Titans finished third and fourth in the 2009-10 seasons, the average crowd was 17,558 and 18,328, up from the current season’s 9224.
“Demand for the company’s sponsorships has gradually diminished over the last three years, and to secure sponsors the company has had to accept sponsorship arrangements that provide increasing levels of contra rather than cash,” the report said.
Management advised Mr Moodie and Mr Parker that “current sponsorship packages have been adversely affected by off-field events”.
Some longstanding smaller sponsors continued to back the club as the NRL took control in February, placing it in voluntary administration after five players were stood down following allegations of cocaine use.
But administrators found the company’s major sponsorship agreements had concluded in 2013-14 as the Titans faced increased competition from the city’s AFL team, the Suns.
Crowds remained constant last year but the ticket incentive schemes that allow kids to enter with parents for free had “reduced game day profitability”.
Annual membership numbers have increased and recently moved quickly towards a 10,000 peak, but this has not led to boosted revenue due to reduced ticket prices.
The Bulletin understands sub-contractors burnt by the club are willing to return if the Titans extend an olive branch.
Following the dispute about the club’s Centre of Excellence office tower at Robi- na, sub-contractors were among the 130 creditors owed up to $20 million.
Chris Lees, from Pool FX, who was locked out during the Centre of Excellence court dispute, said NRL ownership of the club was the first step in mending the relationship.
“They have to get the subbies back. That’s what they need to look at. They have to say this game is for the subcontractors, it’s for the Gold Coast community,” Mr Lees said.
“Then they have to get the players out at shopping centres and local football games signing autographs. This is what a football club is about.”
Mr Lees said despite his love for rugby league he now attended Suns games after turning his back on the Titans.
“I used to go to five or six games a year (at Robina) but I haven’t been to one since,’’ Mr Lees said.
“There were a lot of companies that went down, a lot of people who lost livelihoods. We’re the tradies who at smokos talk footy. That was their fan base there.”
Former McPherson MP Margaret May, who was on the committee that fought to get the Coast licence, believes club founder Paul Broughton (pictured left) should be invited back to head a community board. Broughton resigned in March 2012 as the club’s founding chairman.
“I still think personally they need a very good PR team. A community board would help get the mums and dads and kids back with the Titans,” Mrs May said.
Southport MP Rob Molhoek, also part of the original committee, agrees that the Titans must forge stronger links with junior rugby league teams on the Coast.
“To be fair, I think some of it was bad timing. No one an- ticipated the GFC,” Mr Molhoek said. “At the same time you had a second club (the Suns) come to the Coast, offer better and more competitive prices on tickets, families were struggling and couldn’t afford to go.”