Rugby league great Phil Gould has warned he can’t see all 16 National Rugby League (NRL) clubs surviving the suspended season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

All 16 clubs have woken to a new reality yesterday, with no football in the foreseeable future and a significant hit to their bottom line.

This will have an impact on our Vodafone Fijian Bati players who are playing in the NRL like Maika Sivo, Viliame Kikau, Suli Vunivalu, Tui Kamikamica, Waqa Blake, Brandon Wakeham, Api Koroisau, Kane Evans, Tariq Sims, Mikaele Ravalawa, Taane Milne and the list goes on.

They are likely to lose their earnings.

According to AAP, several clubs made moves to stand down staff or place them on annual leave on Monday night, with no-one safe as the clubs searched for ways to save money.

The impact of the coronavirus on clubs who have previously walked the financial tightrope in the past could be dire.

Without games being played, there will be no gate takings, corporate boxes sold and a significant dip in merchandise sales.

Nine separate clubs also have links to leagues’ clubs, which were indefinitely closed from Monday due to new laws aimed at preventing the spread of the virus.

Sponsorships could also take a hit without games being played and a number of businesses doing it tough, while the NRL’s losses could also impact on grants.

And Gould, who most recently filled a role as general manager at Penrith, admitted he feared for several clubs’ futures.

“I can’t see every club surviving,” Gould told Nine’s 100% Footy.

“If this competition doesn’t get back on the field this year, and there is no broadcast income coming into the game, I don’t know how clubs are going to survive.

“Unless the criteria is so small next year to come into the competition, that they somehow find themselves in it.

“It depends what the funding arrangements are going forward. What the competition and salary cap looks like going forward.”

And Gould isn’t sure the competition will be able to resume this year.
Edited by Leone Cabenatabua

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