ARL to consider extra Storm funding

 

By , 25 Feb 2012

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    Australian Rugby League Commission chairman John Grant has left the door open for a possible funding boost for the Storm to help grow the game in Melbourne.

    Grant says the Storm are a long-term club and deserve to be given every possible assistance.

    “It’s tough territory down here. This is AFL territory,” Grant told reporters.

    “It’s a bit like AFL going to Greater Western Sydney.

    “So they need a lot of support through the administration in order to be a team that’s going to prosper over the long term.

    “This is about sustainable footy clubs. When you put a stake in the ground around a footy club like this, this has got to be the 100-year footy club.

    “So you’ve got to put in.”

    Grant, who attended the Storm’s season launch in Melbourne on Thursday night, said the new commission was aware of the different challenges facing certain clubs.

    “At the moment, the funding that comes from the Commission is pretty level across all the clubs,” he said.

    “Over time, we need to understand how that’s working for various clubs because each club has different opportunities.

    “The Broncos have got a bigger opportunity than the Melbourne Storm.

    “So we’ve got to think about how we can help them get the best performance that they can do and then make sure we balance it up so they get sustainability.

    “We will look at where the money’s being placed today, what available money we can increase to make that grow and where we can place it tomorrow to make sure it gives the game the best helping hand.

    “The Melbourne footy club is a long-term footy club so we’ve got to make sure it stays that way.

    “Melbourne have been here for 15 years and they’ve been such a great club for that period of time.

    “Melbourne’s a very key part of our business so that’s our responsibility to make sure that they know that we’re thinking of them and they feel very included.”

    © AAP 2013

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