Financial position

[wombatgc]

I think that the poker machine tax and the introduction of poker machines into pubs came into the equation too which took a hell of a lot of profit away from not only the Manly Leagues Club but from all clubs in general and not only from poker machine revenue either.

Very true. Panthers..which was a Mecca before the pokie tax came in, nearly went broke. They were lucky enough to have lots of land around the club to sell off, and their. affiliations with country clubs saved them. I believe Manly have to go into (more) debt and either knock down the league's club and build a kick arse hotel incorporating the club within. I know the Travelodge is there, but Manly need to be thinking way ahead...hell, if you can build hotels in Penrith and resorts in Rooty Hill (still cracks me up!), then surely we can build Vegas in gods country!

 

[Shoe1]

Basically, Manly were always considered solid to the ARL and were never going to be approached by SL to defect. Other Sydney clubs were vulnerable and the likes of Newcastle, Parramatta and Dragons were financially supported by the ARL to stave off SL advances. Manly loaned millions through the ARL in funds to maintain the fight, with an expectation that we'd see it back once things settled.

But the compromise by Neil Whittaker (then ARL CEO) effectively saw Sydney clubs shafted as well as the debt to Manly disappeared...we never received it back and were left in a bad situation in the Criteria, despite our recent on-field successes.

Does anyone know exactly who from Manly was responsible for giving away our wealth without any legally binding arrangement for compensation? If that is what happened it seems a gross dereliction of duty on the part of whoever controlled our club at the time.

That is a really great question. Who was our boss then? Cranky frank? Club legend and all that .. Did you know he is ennis's uncle?

He went in to work for super league clubs the cowboys and Melbourne after leaving manly in the 90s.

 

[Peter C]

I don't seem to recall Manly giving a loan to the ARL, sure the leagues club had to dig deep in order for the football club to prevent our players going to Super League, that's where a lot of money went, and the leagues club never really recovered from that, although demographics were changing in the area and it was only a matter of time before the leagues club would find itself struggling for business
Kerry Packer and Optus Vision at the time spent tens of millions trying to prevent Newcastle and Parra going to Super League.
The big beneficiaries from the ARL side side of the Super League war were, Fulton, Gould, Parra and Newcastle.