Penrith enjoying great onfield success but pandemic pounding its finances

SYDNEY: Penrith has enjoyed the best season in its NRL history, but just like the homeandaway campaign, the grand final will not be the moneyspinner it should be.

There is never a bad time to go on a recordbreaking NRL winning streak but if Penrith could have its choice of years it would not pick 2020.

‘‘We’ve said that a number of times in board meetings,’’ director and club great Greg Alexander said.

Call this the year of missed opportunity for the Panthers, and all due to Covid19. Penrith management estimate that crowd restrictions and the flowon effect at its leagues club has cost it about $A2 million ($NZ2.13 million) this year.

And that is just on game day. One of the hardesthit clubs during New South Wales’ full shutdown, the closure of the Panthers’ five leagues clubs for two months cost the organisation $A28 million.

Since the NRL’s restart, Penrith has lost just one match and was the only Sydney club to sell out each of its home games at a reduced capacity.

Initially fans were locked out completely before 4000 were allowed to attend each home game for the rest of the regular season.

Compare that to when the club regularly pulled in excess of 20,000 on its way to the 2003 title.

‘‘Prior indications of everything is when you’ve got a winning side you normally get 16,000 to 18,000 at the ground,’’ chief executive Brian Fletcher said.

‘‘And winning 17 straight you would’ve got it every home game.

‘‘I reckon it costs us around $200,000 a game — $100,000 at the game in ticket sales and so forth, and $100,000 back at the club after.’’

Penrith will, however, survive the season better than most with no job cuts. Its success has kept sponsors on board, while it should secure more freetoair

TV spots next year.

But it still does not mean it will not cop another hit on what should be its biggest weekend of the year with Sunday’s grand final against Melbourne.

Only 1800 members will be allowed inside their leagues club this for the match, with 300 of those at a private function.

‘‘If you wanted to get into the sports bar you’d nearly want to queue overnight,’’ Fletcher said.

The club will put the game on the big screen at the ground, but must make it a ticketed event as per NSW Health guidelines.

Players will not head back for a public party on Sunday night, and while a fan day is pencilled in for

Monday — if it wins — it must be ticketed with no selfies or autographs.

All of which costs money.

‘‘But if you win on Sunday, none of that matters,’’ Alexander said.

‘‘For the time being anyway, until the dust settles.

‘‘Then you go geez, we've got some money to make up.’’ — AAP