Every NRL club's commercial, membership and game-day revenue revealed in secret document
The Tigers have taken a battering on and off the field in recent seasons, resulting in a league-worst financial return in 2024.
A leaked NRL document, obtained by Code Sports, showed the Tigers had a total commercial revenue of just $13.4 million last season, a stark contrast to the league-leading Brisbane Broncos' $48.9 million.
• 'It makes me feel sick': Footy star's warning after cancer scare
• The falling out that cost Manly their $1m halfback prodigy
• Inside the attacking tricks of the NRL's next great playmaker
Chief executive Shane Richardson has responded to revelations the Wests Tigers finished last among all 17 NRL clubs in terms of financial performance for the 2024 season, declaring they have taken significant steps to address their issues and that they're on a path to recovery.
The Tigers ranked last in overall commercial revenue, commercial corporate revenue ($6.9m), corporate hospitality revenue ($600,000) and membership ($1.5m). Richardson acknowledged the Tigers' plight, but argued the club had enjoyed a strong uplift this season, as they attempt to avoid a fourth straight wooden spoon.
'The club has made significant strides this season across all key metrics, however, we will not rest on our laurels as we strive towards being a top-four club,' Richardson said.
According to the Tigers, they have experienced a 51 per cent year-on-year growth in hospitality revenue and 27 per cent increase in both game-day and membership revenue, with 16 per cent jumps in sponsorship and merchandise sales respectively.
'We have come a long way, but the job isn't done yet,' Richardson said.
The Tigers attribute their 2025 commercial growth 'in large part to the introduction of CommBank Stadium as a home venue'.
Last year, the Tigers split their home games with five at Campbelltown Stadium and another five at Leichhardt Oval, both of which lack the modern facilities needed to generate meaningful financial returns.
The Tigers are reporting a 24 per cent increase in game-day crowds from last season, and an eight per cent growth in TV viewership.
'The club has stressed the importance of playing at state-of-the-art venues and has made a strategic move to CommBank Stadium as a home venue, which has already shown positive results,' Richardson said.
Despite five straight losses, the last three have come by only four-point margins, and the Tigers' five wins this year are already more than they managed during the entire 2024 season (four).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
29 minutes ago
- ABC News
Interstate investors swarm NT homes, shutting out local buyers and raising rent prices
Interstate investors are targeting properties across the Northern Territory and buying them up hours before they hit the market, as Darwin's rental market firms as the tightest in the country. Local doctor Nicolas Darmanthe moved to Darwin at the beginning of the year with his partner, and thinking they would be able to afford to rent a "fairly nice" three-bedroom home. But, after a few months of looking in a city where the vacancy rate is just 0.3 per cent, they realised that wouldn't be the case. "Even though Darwin is very far away and [like] a small country town, it turns out the rentals are just as expensive — if not more expensive — than down south in Canberra and Sydney," he said. Over the past year, interstate investors have increasingly turned their focus to the NT, where houses and units remain among the most affordable to buy in the country and rental yields are among the highest. Real estate agents have told the ABC they can sell homes to interstate investors "within hours", often before they are publicly advertised, with some saying the fierce competition to sell properties fast has left them no choice but to play along. Nick Mousellis, an independent real estate agent in Darwin, first started getting calls from interstate investors about a year ago and now fields numerous requests a week. "Almost every two to three days, we have an inquiry or an e-mail from a buyer agent," he said. Over the past year he's seen an increase between 3 and 10 per cent in Darwin property prices, and soaring competition for local homes. Mr Mousellis said interstate investors were targeting homes priced between $500,000 and $650,000, spending a small amount on renovations, and then leasing them at a higher price. Nicola Powell, chief of research and economics at Domain, said the sudden flood of interstate buyers had positioned the NT as an investment hotspot — second only to New South Wales. "[Rental] house yields are sitting at around 6 per cent, and [rental] unit yields are anywhere between 7 and 8 per cent," she said. "Compare that to a market like Sydney — where rental yields are sitting at 3 per cent — you can understand why investors are looking towards those cash positive locations like Darwin." Darwin's 0.3 per cent vacancy rate compares with a national rate of between 2 and 3 per cent, according to Domain's June Quarter Rent Report. Unit rents are at record highs across all capital cities including Darwin and, while house rents remain at record highs in all capitals, prices in Darwin dropped $20 in June. Dr Powell said interstate investors had the ability to revitalise stagnant markets but, in this case, they were likely "nudging first home buyers" out of the market and making it harder for people to secure an affordable rental. "We do have a rental crisis," she said. "When you've got a vacancy rate that is very tight at 0.3 per cent … it means it is very competitive for tenants — to have a balanced rental market, you need that vacancy rate to be between 2 and 3 per cent. "You tend to find that investors and first-time buyers go for similar priced properties. Ruth Palmer has been the executive director of the Property Council of Australia's NT division for over a decade and said she hadn't seen a "shift" quite like this before. She said Alice Springs had seen a "significant jump" in median house prices and improvement in the volume of sales. Ms Palmer said, with both sales and building approvals up, many NT real estate agents now had "a bunch of investors on their books who are chasing properties". "Sometimes the properties don't even get to market before they're snapped up by an investor, and this can occur within about 24 to 48 hours," she said. "What this can do is put a bit of an imbalance into the market, so while our volume sales are up and while we're seeing a lot of transaction, it doesn't exactly mean that it's growing the population. Ms Palmer said, as the NT continued to face high construction costs and a shortage of tradies, more needed to be done to "stimulate new builds". "Without more supply, affordability will remain a challenge," she said. In the March 2025 quarter, building approvals rose over 50 per cent compared with the previous quarter, according to the Property Council's latest report.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Peter Ryan
The ABC is deeply saddened by the death of our great friend and esteemed colleague Peter Ryan. After a distinguished 45-year career in journalism Peter retired from the ABC last month due to ill health. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Peter's family. A tribute to Peter on his retirement can be read here: Listen to The World Today's tribute to Peter Ryan Watch here: After 45 years, business reporter Peter Ryan has called time on his career Peter's many career highlights include being the ABC's Washington Bureau Chief, head of TV news and current affairs in Victoria, Executive Producer of Business Breakfast , founding editor of Lateline Business , which later became The Business, and Business Editor. Since 2016 he has held the role of Senior Business Correspondent. In 2017 Peter won a Walkley Award for his expose on the Commonwealth Bank scandal. His coverage contributed to the calling of the banking Royal Commission and in 2018 he was the National Press Club finance journalist of the year for his coverage of the commission. In 2022 he was recognised with the Order of Australia medal for his significant service to journalism. ABC Director, News Justin Stevens: Peter leaves a significant legacy. Through his mentorship, friendship and professionalism he directly touched the lives of many at the ABC. Through his journalism he had a profound impact on the lives of Australians and our society. It was a privilege to know him and work alongside him. Peter's parting words of advice: Peter Ryan shares his highs and lows from 45 years So what have I learned from 45 years in journalism? This is for younger and older colleagues alike. When I look back at my start on Sydney's Daily Mirror in 1980, as an 18-year-old straight out of school, we were still printing newspapers off hot metal. People were smoking in newsrooms and there was a lot of yelling as deadlines ran down to the wire. My parents were absolutely delighted when I was finally hired by the ABC in 1984. Our TV always seemed to be stuck on Channel 2, we were forced to watch the 7pm news every night and I had to listen to AM and PM in the kitchen. I'd love to be with you all there, but one strong message I have is, never let anyone tell you the good old days were really that good – that's a bit of a myth. I'd like to thank the ABC for taking so many risks with me over the years, giving me my dream of a foreign posting in Washington and then into big editorial roles. But for me in the end it's all about being a reporter out in the real world telling it as it is. I'm always chuffed when I hear people tell me you're able to take complex issues and break them down into three good parts. When someone tells me that, that's more important than a whole lot of awards. A few words of editorial advice. Avoid cynicism – be passionate. A good team can often be a very small team – I've worked in some of the best. Be proactive – come to the table with a great story so no one else comes up with a dud that might waste your time. Work closely with top people – shut up and absorb like a sponge. Maintain a fastidious contact book – some low-profile contacts could soon move into higher powered roles or more importantly work in backrooms where the big decisions are often made. Show up to work early and prove that you're ready to take on the big story of the day. Try to have a Plan B in your back pocket just in case your original brilliant idea doesn't go anywhere and the EP comes walking your way. Finally: Be kind and caring to people who need it. Media contact Sally Jackson, ABC Communications
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Dutch defence chief warns Australia to increase military capability
The Netherlands' chief of defence has warned Australian leaders the country needs to counter China's military rise by increasing its own defence capability. General Onno Eichelsheim, visiting Australia for the Talisman Sabre defence exercises, warned the threat posed by China to the Indo-Pacific is not unlike that Russia poses to Europe. And he says "naivety" should not allow Australia and other countries to avoid preparing for the risk of conflict in future. "You should look at the facts that are around you … if Russia tells us that they want to have more, more influence, than take that seriously," he said. "And if you see in this case in this region, China building up, take it seriously and get ready for something that you hope will never happen. "If you prepare for war, you can avoid war. And that's how we look at it." The Netherlands recently agreed to lift its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of its GDP, alongside most other NATO countries. The decision came in part due to pressure from the United States for NATO countries to provide more for their own security. Australia has faced its own pressure from the United States to lift defence spending to the same level. General Eichelsheim said 3.5 per cent of GDP would provide the Netherlands with the capability the country needs, given the security situation in Europe. He said while the focus on GDP percentages was not important, there was no doubt Australia would need to do more. "It's not about the percentage, it's about the capabilities," he said. "But inevitably, I think Australia has to increase its capabilities as well, if you look at the region, and the build-up in this case of China. "Also, if they need to help out Europe, which [Australia is] actually already doing — if you look at the war in Ukraine, and supporting us there." In April General Eichelsheim issued an order to the country's 76,000 defence personnel, both uniformed and civilian. The top-ranking Dutch military official warned they needed to increase their readiness and be ready for rapid deployment. He said the message was sent for two reasons: that a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine might need to be protected, and that it might lead Russia to shift its attention elsewhere. "We know that [Russia has] the ability, if there is a ceasefire, they can move within one or two years to other locations where they can threaten, for instance, the Baltic States," he said. "So we need to be ready to defend that line as well. And that is not that much time, to be honest." The Netherlands is one of 19 countries taking part in the Talisman Sabre defence exercises, which are jointly organised by Australia and the United States. The Dutch defence personnel taking part are also joined by other European militaries like France, Germany and Norway. Asked why the Netherlands is taking an interest in the region, and how he views the security situation in the Indo-Pacific, General Eichelsheim said he has real concerns. "We worry about the amount of capabilities that China is building up," he said. "Those are not capabilities that you only use for protecting yourself. There are also quite a lot of offensive capabilities in it. "Leaving it only to the US versus China is also not a good idea — so we've increased our partnerships a lot with Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand and also the Philippines." The Albanese government has pushed back on the United States' calls for significant increases in defence spending, arguing spending is already rising quickly. The prime minister has argued Australia will set its own defence policy, and made the case that specific capabilities should be funded, rather than funding targets set and pursued. Asked about whether pressure might come from other allies rapidly increasing defence spending as a share of GDP, Defence Minister Richard Marles said those countries can see what Australia is doing. "We understand there is a process of international benchmarking, but ultimately every country, when it goes through its own processes about what kind of defence force it needs to build, does so based on assessing its own strategic need," he said. "And that's exactly what we're doing and I think countries can see that we are engaging in that process, it's an ongoing process and a process which up until this point has yielded the biggest peacetime increase in Australia's defence spending."
