1 00:00:06,667 --> 00:00:10,387 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine 2 00:00:10,707 --> 00:00:15,347 Speaker 1: from NEWSTALKZB some very interesting conversation this week about the 3 00:00:15,387 --> 00:00:20,107 Speaker 1: price of attending All Blacks test matches. Gregor Paul wrote 4 00:00:20,107 --> 00:00:23,347 Speaker 1: an article in The Herald which was mainly around corporate packages, 5 00:00:23,347 --> 00:00:26,387 Speaker 1: but also shine a light on just how expensive it 6 00:00:26,467 --> 00:00:29,307 Speaker 1: is to watch top level sport these days. Now, we 7 00:00:29,347 --> 00:00:33,347 Speaker 1: all know ticket revenue is a vital part of any 8 00:00:33,507 --> 00:00:37,947 Speaker 1: professional sports business, but how do you balance income with 9 00:00:38,147 --> 00:00:42,747 Speaker 1: accessibility to ensure the long term health of your sport. 10 00:00:42,827 --> 00:00:46,547 Speaker 1: At what point does the average fan and the average 11 00:00:46,747 --> 00:00:51,707 Speaker 1: family become priced out of the experience of live sport. 12 00:00:51,747 --> 00:00:55,347 Speaker 1: And without that live experience, how can we expect our 13 00:00:55,427 --> 00:00:58,427 Speaker 1: kids to fall in love with sport the same way 14 00:00:58,467 --> 00:01:02,507 Speaker 1: we did by going along and watching it and becoming 15 00:01:02,707 --> 00:01:06,747 Speaker 1: lifelong fans. One of our foremost sports promoters is Dean 16 00:01:06,787 --> 00:01:09,187 Speaker 1: Lonigan who joins us now. Dean, thanks for taking the 17 00:01:09,227 --> 00:01:11,867 Speaker 1: time for a chat on the show this afternoon. Just 18 00:01:11,907 --> 00:01:13,187 Speaker 1: make sure we're going to get you to air in 19 00:01:13,227 --> 00:01:15,707 Speaker 1: the right place there by getting my favors all on 20 00:01:15,747 --> 00:01:19,147 Speaker 1: the right places. How important Dean is watching live sport, 21 00:01:19,267 --> 00:01:24,627 Speaker 1: going along to the game to developing a lifelong love 22 00:01:24,907 --> 00:01:27,467 Speaker 1: of that particular sport, particularly for kids. 23 00:01:28,547 --> 00:01:31,747 Speaker 2: Fin it's incredibly important, but you also don't have to 24 00:01:31,787 --> 00:01:34,667 Speaker 2: have free or cheap access to teams like the All Blacks. 25 00:01:34,667 --> 00:01:37,587 Speaker 2: And you've got to realize there's multiple levels of the sport. 26 00:01:37,587 --> 00:01:39,747 Speaker 2: Obviously at rugby union, you start a club, then you 27 00:01:39,747 --> 00:01:42,787 Speaker 2: get a provincial, then Super Rugby and of course the 28 00:01:42,827 --> 00:01:45,067 Speaker 2: All Blacks. And every time you go up the it's 29 00:01:45,187 --> 00:01:47,427 Speaker 2: tier you go up, it becomes more and more expensive, 30 00:01:48,027 --> 00:01:50,627 Speaker 2: so you know, to be pulling out the All Blacks 31 00:01:50,627 --> 00:01:53,787 Speaker 2: only on the Gillarrugby Union only two weeks ago, I 32 00:01:53,827 --> 00:01:56,787 Speaker 2: think said that they had a loss of twenty million 33 00:01:56,827 --> 00:02:00,747 Speaker 2: dollars and professional rugby has to be funded somehow, So 34 00:02:01,107 --> 00:02:02,907 Speaker 2: it's there to say at the highest level you could 35 00:02:02,907 --> 00:02:05,907 Speaker 2: expect to pay big prices and the families can't afford 36 00:02:05,987 --> 00:02:08,027 Speaker 2: to go to these particular games. Might they just have 37 00:02:08,107 --> 00:02:09,467 Speaker 2: to go to the next tier down and if you 38 00:02:09,547 --> 00:02:12,267 Speaker 2: just keep going down, But obviously everyone wants to go 39 00:02:12,307 --> 00:02:14,547 Speaker 2: to see the big games because that's all the stars 40 00:02:14,547 --> 00:02:17,227 Speaker 2: playing the stars. A key to starts, the key to 41 00:02:17,267 --> 00:02:17,787 Speaker 2: the whole thing. 42 00:02:18,267 --> 00:02:22,467 Speaker 1: When you were growing up and watching live rugby league, 43 00:02:22,747 --> 00:02:24,387 Speaker 1: was that kind of club rugby league that you were 44 00:02:24,427 --> 00:02:27,387 Speaker 1: watching that first formed what would become a pro career 45 00:02:27,427 --> 00:02:29,227 Speaker 1: in the sport for you. 46 00:02:29,867 --> 00:02:33,267 Speaker 2: We used to go to obviously when you're planning to youngster. 47 00:02:33,307 --> 00:02:35,227 Speaker 2: We used to go a lot of NAR eight eighten 48 00:02:35,307 --> 00:02:37,347 Speaker 2: or under twenty one of my cousins that were playing 49 00:02:38,027 --> 00:02:40,227 Speaker 2: a particularly a guy called Mark Humphreys who played for 50 00:02:40,227 --> 00:02:42,307 Speaker 2: the Glory team though over three or four years at 51 00:02:42,347 --> 00:02:44,227 Speaker 2: a very young age. They did really well. I used 52 00:02:44,267 --> 00:02:46,347 Speaker 2: to love going to watch them, and every now and 53 00:02:46,427 --> 00:02:48,987 Speaker 2: then you get a sampful of One of the biggest 54 00:02:48,987 --> 00:02:51,027 Speaker 2: memories I've got of a young fellow grown up is 55 00:02:51,067 --> 00:02:53,707 Speaker 2: when I think it was either the British Lions or 56 00:02:53,747 --> 00:02:56,347 Speaker 2: the Great Britain team came out here and a guy 57 00:02:56,427 --> 00:03:00,667 Speaker 2: called Jim Mills stood on John Greengrass's kain. It was 58 00:03:00,667 --> 00:03:03,427 Speaker 2: probably one of the most impleness moments in regular league history. 59 00:03:03,427 --> 00:03:05,827 Speaker 2: But you know, we didn't go too much to the 60 00:03:05,867 --> 00:03:08,467 Speaker 2: big games. It was always just the club environment where 61 00:03:08,467 --> 00:03:10,627 Speaker 2: you had friends playing the people you knew, and it 62 00:03:10,667 --> 00:03:13,267 Speaker 2: was I always found in the fascinating and enjoyable experience, 63 00:03:13,307 --> 00:03:14,867 Speaker 2: you know, seeing people you knew go well. 64 00:03:15,147 --> 00:03:17,467 Speaker 1: So you've landed on a really interesting point there Diana 65 00:03:17,587 --> 00:03:21,307 Speaker 1: and that you know, it maybe doesn't necessarily have to 66 00:03:21,307 --> 00:03:24,827 Speaker 1: be the all blacks playing rugby that somebody sees a 67 00:03:24,867 --> 00:03:26,827 Speaker 1: young boy or girl for the first time, even if 68 00:03:26,867 --> 00:03:29,627 Speaker 1: it's just someone from their club or provincial or even 69 00:03:29,627 --> 00:03:32,227 Speaker 1: Super rugby, you still think the love of the game 70 00:03:32,467 --> 00:03:34,307 Speaker 1: can be developed in those environments. 71 00:03:35,227 --> 00:03:38,267 Speaker 2: Of course, that's why you have a thing called television 72 00:03:38,267 --> 00:03:39,827 Speaker 2: that if you want, if you can't afford to go, 73 00:03:39,947 --> 00:03:41,867 Speaker 2: you can get it at home and access the reasonably 74 00:03:41,907 --> 00:03:44,747 Speaker 2: cheap at home. And I think the New Zilla Rugby Union, 75 00:03:44,827 --> 00:03:47,147 Speaker 2: and this is what most journalists I don't think get, 76 00:03:47,187 --> 00:03:50,707 Speaker 2: or indeed the public get. They had bent over backwards 77 00:03:50,867 --> 00:03:53,067 Speaker 2: to service in New Zilla Rugby fan and I know 78 00:03:53,187 --> 00:03:56,667 Speaker 2: everyone will jump up ands about this, but they haven't 79 00:03:57,027 --> 00:03:59,547 Speaker 2: tried to keep all their best players at home for 80 00:03:59,627 --> 00:04:02,427 Speaker 2: the last twenty five years. They've been trying to chase 81 00:04:02,467 --> 00:04:06,067 Speaker 2: the market. So they're forever making more and more money 82 00:04:06,147 --> 00:04:08,507 Speaker 2: to pay the players to keep them at home, finding 83 00:04:08,547 --> 00:04:10,707 Speaker 2: against the market, which I think is a losing battle. 84 00:04:10,787 --> 00:04:13,707 Speaker 2: The only time they make money seriously is when the 85 00:04:13,707 --> 00:04:15,667 Speaker 2: Lions come, and that's not going to happen until twenty 86 00:04:15,707 --> 00:04:18,947 Speaker 2: twenty nine, I think. And the New Zella Rugby Union, 87 00:04:19,067 --> 00:04:21,027 Speaker 2: if you're a fan, needs to be applauded to keeping 88 00:04:21,027 --> 00:04:23,547 Speaker 2: all these people, all these great players at home. In 89 00:04:23,587 --> 00:04:25,907 Speaker 2: my opinion, what they need to do is a fundamental 90 00:04:25,907 --> 00:04:28,907 Speaker 2: shift away from their current policy. They need to allow 91 00:04:28,947 --> 00:04:31,547 Speaker 2: their players to go overseas to play and come back 92 00:04:31,627 --> 00:04:33,507 Speaker 2: only for test matches, and to be fair, they should 93 00:04:33,547 --> 00:04:35,587 Speaker 2: take a lot of their home test matches overseas. And 94 00:04:35,627 --> 00:04:38,587 Speaker 2: I know there's rules around what they do. But when 95 00:04:38,627 --> 00:04:40,387 Speaker 2: you can go to Queensland, you can go to New 96 00:04:40,467 --> 00:04:43,147 Speaker 2: South Wales, or you can go to WA and play 97 00:04:43,267 --> 00:04:46,227 Speaker 2: Australia over there, or indeed in Wa you can play 98 00:04:46,307 --> 00:04:48,827 Speaker 2: South Africa over there, and you can pull them sponsorship 99 00:04:48,867 --> 00:04:51,827 Speaker 2: dollars about eight million dollars out of a local government 100 00:04:52,187 --> 00:04:55,667 Speaker 2: and then turn around and charge premiums for your corporate 101 00:04:55,667 --> 00:04:58,347 Speaker 2: hospitality and you get a hell of a lot more 102 00:04:58,387 --> 00:05:01,667 Speaker 2: money over there. By allowing you players to go overseas, 103 00:05:01,787 --> 00:05:03,787 Speaker 2: what you do is you reduce your main cost. I 104 00:05:03,787 --> 00:05:06,067 Speaker 2: think there's ninety two million dollars every year committed to 105 00:05:06,107 --> 00:05:09,507 Speaker 2: player paying rugby players in this country at the elite level. 106 00:05:09,827 --> 00:05:12,347 Speaker 2: If you could remove thirty, forty or fifty million dollars 107 00:05:12,387 --> 00:05:14,587 Speaker 2: of this cost, you'd start to do something you're deciminded 108 00:05:14,667 --> 00:05:17,027 Speaker 2: to do as a professional rugby organization, and that has 109 00:05:17,107 --> 00:05:21,067 Speaker 2: made money and before people jump up and down and 110 00:05:21,067 --> 00:05:22,907 Speaker 2: say you can't do that. Well last time. I look 111 00:05:22,987 --> 00:05:25,787 Speaker 2: South Africa as a current world champion and they now 112 00:05:25,867 --> 00:05:27,987 Speaker 2: allow their players to go out of the seas. And 113 00:05:28,067 --> 00:05:31,507 Speaker 2: I also believe Brazil and Argentina have been pretty successful 114 00:05:31,507 --> 00:05:34,147 Speaker 2: in the round ball game and yet bugger all their 115 00:05:34,187 --> 00:05:36,067 Speaker 2: players play at HadAM, So I don't know what this 116 00:05:36,147 --> 00:05:38,827 Speaker 2: fascination is with keeping the players at ARME. The New 117 00:05:38,907 --> 00:05:41,507 Speaker 2: Zealand Rugby Union has got some massive decisions to make 118 00:05:41,547 --> 00:05:43,627 Speaker 2: over the next few years to change in their policy 119 00:05:43,667 --> 00:05:46,067 Speaker 2: because one thing you can't do for a country of 120 00:05:46,187 --> 00:05:48,547 Speaker 2: five million people. We've got to think for the New 121 00:05:48,627 --> 00:05:52,747 Speaker 2: zill And peso, which is actually not very well regarded. 122 00:05:53,147 --> 00:05:54,627 Speaker 2: It's an actually when you compare it to me in 123 00:05:54,627 --> 00:05:59,627 Speaker 2: paid in euro or indeed Japanese yen or US dollars, 124 00:05:59,827 --> 00:06:02,947 Speaker 2: and then it's going to make some big decisions because 125 00:06:02,947 --> 00:06:05,787 Speaker 2: they can't sustain these losses. I think we already out 126 00:06:05,827 --> 00:06:08,067 Speaker 2: of the two undred and twenty million dollars a silver 127 00:06:08,147 --> 00:06:10,667 Speaker 2: light put in the New Zealand rugby union reserves already 128 00:06:10,707 --> 00:06:13,307 Speaker 2: down to one hundred and seventy million. You can't eat 129 00:06:13,307 --> 00:06:15,867 Speaker 2: gone backwards. So it'll be fascinating to see what David 130 00:06:15,947 --> 00:06:18,827 Speaker 2: Kirk pulls out as a new chairman of the Ends. 131 00:06:19,107 --> 00:06:20,907 Speaker 2: You know, he's obviously a succeed he's been running the 132 00:06:20,907 --> 00:06:23,267 Speaker 2: game of rugby for an enormously a long time. You know, 133 00:06:23,267 --> 00:06:25,827 Speaker 2: it was the first World Cup winning captain, so he's 134 00:06:25,827 --> 00:06:27,787 Speaker 2: obviously got the game at heart, and it'll be fascinated 135 00:06:27,787 --> 00:06:29,547 Speaker 2: and see what magic eat palls out. But I don't 136 00:06:29,587 --> 00:06:31,147 Speaker 2: think you have to look too far than the South 137 00:06:31,147 --> 00:06:32,747 Speaker 2: Africans to see what you've got to do to have 138 00:06:32,787 --> 00:06:36,067 Speaker 2: a world winning team and ideally get rid of the 139 00:06:36,107 --> 00:06:38,467 Speaker 2: burden of paying your players an absolute fortune to start 140 00:06:38,467 --> 00:06:40,387 Speaker 2: at home when it's not economically viable. 141 00:06:40,627 --> 00:06:43,147 Speaker 1: If I could just play Devil's advocate to that argument, then, Dean, 142 00:06:43,347 --> 00:06:45,787 Speaker 1: if you allow your best players to go overseas to 143 00:06:46,067 --> 00:06:49,147 Speaker 1: make more money and take more All Blacks test matches 144 00:06:49,147 --> 00:06:52,627 Speaker 1: off shore, don't you go even further down the track 145 00:06:52,827 --> 00:06:57,227 Speaker 1: of denying your average everyday New Zealander access to watching 146 00:06:57,267 --> 00:07:00,827 Speaker 1: the All Blacks, a team that means so much to us. 147 00:07:01,267 --> 00:07:03,747 Speaker 2: Well, they're still on TV number one and number two. 148 00:07:03,787 --> 00:07:07,547 Speaker 2: You'd still play tests at home, it just becomes a 149 00:07:07,587 --> 00:07:10,347 Speaker 2: more special occasion. At the moment, I think, can you 150 00:07:10,387 --> 00:07:12,907 Speaker 2: en correct me to like Piney, we played ten, eleven, 151 00:07:12,987 --> 00:07:15,067 Speaker 2: twelve Test matches at home and we play them all 152 00:07:15,107 --> 00:07:18,467 Speaker 2: around the country. That's quite a huge supply of product, 153 00:07:18,507 --> 00:07:20,027 Speaker 2: and it's not that special to go and see an 154 00:07:20,027 --> 00:07:22,307 Speaker 2: all black Test match when you've got that oversupply, in 155 00:07:22,347 --> 00:07:25,907 Speaker 2: my opinion, So the less you play, the more desirable 156 00:07:25,947 --> 00:07:27,947 Speaker 2: they become. And at the end of the day, what 157 00:07:27,987 --> 00:07:31,627 Speaker 2: you need to do as a professional organization, you must 158 00:07:31,787 --> 00:07:33,987 Speaker 2: make money, which is why they did the Silver Aid deal. 159 00:07:34,027 --> 00:07:35,827 Speaker 2: But they're still going backwards. And here's where I can 160 00:07:35,867 --> 00:07:38,707 Speaker 2: tell you the big problem is coming right now. The 161 00:07:38,867 --> 00:07:41,987 Speaker 2: NRL is expanding to twenty teams. Now they've got two 162 00:07:42,027 --> 00:07:44,107 Speaker 2: more teams to come, and it's a huge amount of 163 00:07:44,107 --> 00:07:47,147 Speaker 2: players to find a playing base. The NRL is making 164 00:07:47,307 --> 00:07:50,507 Speaker 2: sixty billion dollars a year. They've got reserves right now 165 00:07:50,787 --> 00:07:52,907 Speaker 2: of three hundred and fifty million dollars and in a 166 00:07:52,907 --> 00:07:55,307 Speaker 2: couple of years it'll be half of billion dollars. When 167 00:07:55,347 --> 00:07:57,867 Speaker 2: the NRL say we need to go out and get 168 00:07:57,867 --> 00:07:59,987 Speaker 2: premium players, and we're going to take the best that 169 00:08:00,067 --> 00:08:01,907 Speaker 2: rugby union's got to offer. They are going to go 170 00:08:01,947 --> 00:08:04,467 Speaker 2: to Australia to get We're going to come here. We've 171 00:08:04,507 --> 00:08:06,907 Speaker 2: got something like twenty five thousand Red said, you sell 172 00:08:06,947 --> 00:08:09,707 Speaker 2: a rugby league players and about one hundred and twenty 173 00:08:09,707 --> 00:08:12,747 Speaker 2: thousand regis and rugby union players now from the ages 174 00:08:12,787 --> 00:08:15,947 Speaker 2: of fifteen or thirteen through to about nineteen. The skill 175 00:08:15,987 --> 00:08:18,707 Speaker 2: sets are pretty similar, aren't to specialize? Right, So you 176 00:08:18,707 --> 00:08:21,867 Speaker 2: can make your transition into rugby league from rugby union. 177 00:08:22,267 --> 00:08:24,587 Speaker 2: And I promise you unless than you sell a rugby 178 00:08:24,667 --> 00:08:27,667 Speaker 2: union starts making money, they will be powerless to stop it. 179 00:08:28,067 --> 00:08:30,107 Speaker 2: So they've got some big decisions to make, and you've 180 00:08:30,147 --> 00:08:32,107 Speaker 2: got to take a long term view rather than a 181 00:08:32,107 --> 00:08:35,347 Speaker 2: short term view. And everybody starts screaming, well, we've got 182 00:08:35,387 --> 00:08:38,507 Speaker 2: to have more tests here. Well, fundamentally it'd be nice 183 00:08:38,547 --> 00:08:40,827 Speaker 2: to have more tests here, but your fundamental problems they're 184 00:08:40,867 --> 00:08:42,867 Speaker 2: just losing so much money they can't afford to. 185 00:08:43,747 --> 00:08:45,467 Speaker 1: Can I ask a question about going to the game 186 00:08:45,507 --> 00:08:49,027 Speaker 1: and what it's like when you're there and attach it 187 00:08:49,027 --> 00:08:52,187 Speaker 1: to a financial argument. If you sell ten thousand tickets 188 00:08:52,227 --> 00:08:55,347 Speaker 1: for eleven dollars each, you make more money than if 189 00:08:55,387 --> 00:08:58,507 Speaker 1: you sell twenty thousand tickets at five dollars each. But 190 00:08:58,507 --> 00:09:01,227 Speaker 1: when you've got twenty thousand at the grounds, the atmosphere 191 00:09:01,227 --> 00:09:02,467 Speaker 1: is a heck of a lot better. Do you think 192 00:09:02,467 --> 00:09:04,867 Speaker 1: a finance department cares about that? 193 00:09:06,347 --> 00:09:08,507 Speaker 2: No, because what they do know is they're pretty much 194 00:09:08,507 --> 00:09:11,187 Speaker 2: going to settle the games out. Give you a classic example, Pining. 195 00:09:11,907 --> 00:09:16,307 Speaker 2: I put on a boxing match that featured Manidakil versus 196 00:09:16,347 --> 00:09:19,707 Speaker 2: a guy called Jeff Horn in Australia, and I think 197 00:09:20,387 --> 00:09:23,187 Speaker 2: the gross turnover through the gate we had fifty thousand 198 00:09:23,187 --> 00:09:25,467 Speaker 2: people turn up. The gross turnover at the gate was 199 00:09:25,507 --> 00:09:29,827 Speaker 2: about eight point two to eight point five million Australian dollars, right, 200 00:09:29,907 --> 00:09:33,827 Speaker 2: which in Australian boxing terms or Australian sport terms, that 201 00:09:33,987 --> 00:09:38,347 Speaker 2: was enormous. Fifty thousand people was at number. Now I 202 00:09:38,427 --> 00:09:41,907 Speaker 2: went to a boxing match Manipacchio versus Floyd Mayweather, which 203 00:09:41,947 --> 00:09:44,987 Speaker 2: only had eleven thousand people at it, and they turned 204 00:09:45,027 --> 00:09:48,707 Speaker 2: over seventy five million US dollars at the gate, right, 205 00:09:49,107 --> 00:09:51,427 Speaker 2: It was absolutely full. So what you've got to do 206 00:09:51,507 --> 00:09:53,907 Speaker 2: is you've got to find there's probably a fine line 207 00:09:54,347 --> 00:09:58,147 Speaker 2: between There's a fine line between money coming and charges 208 00:09:58,227 --> 00:10:02,427 Speaker 2: you can. You can charge what the prices you can charge, 209 00:10:02,627 --> 00:10:04,307 Speaker 2: but at the end of the day, fining, you've got 210 00:10:04,307 --> 00:10:08,507 Speaker 2: a financial responsibility. And it's only people who have never 211 00:10:08,587 --> 00:10:11,627 Speaker 2: run businesses and don't know the pain of what it's 212 00:10:11,707 --> 00:10:13,987 Speaker 2: like to try and cover the bills when you haven't 213 00:10:13,987 --> 00:10:15,627 Speaker 2: got enough money in the bank. Now, at the moment 214 00:10:15,667 --> 00:10:17,707 Speaker 2: he's ever Rugan Union's got one hundred and seventy million 215 00:10:17,747 --> 00:10:19,907 Speaker 2: dollars in the bank. But if they keep going the 216 00:10:19,907 --> 00:10:22,027 Speaker 2: way they are with the exception of the Lines tour, 217 00:10:22,267 --> 00:10:23,987 Speaker 2: so I'll end up with one hundred million in the bank. 218 00:10:23,987 --> 00:10:25,787 Speaker 2: Didn't they end up with fifty million in the bank. 219 00:10:25,787 --> 00:10:27,547 Speaker 2: Then they'll be thirty million in the bank. Then what 220 00:10:27,587 --> 00:10:30,547 Speaker 2: do you do? So you've got to address this stuff early. 221 00:10:30,987 --> 00:10:33,387 Speaker 2: And the last thing they want is people coming to 222 00:10:33,387 --> 00:10:36,907 Speaker 2: approach their players, and at some stage the market internationally 223 00:10:36,907 --> 00:10:39,187 Speaker 2: will be that strong the players can't say no. So 224 00:10:39,227 --> 00:10:41,107 Speaker 2: what I would do is look at the South African 225 00:10:41,227 --> 00:10:44,307 Speaker 2: Rugby Union, which is there Comet's national sport as well, 226 00:10:44,547 --> 00:10:46,827 Speaker 2: and say what are they doing right now? I don't 227 00:10:46,867 --> 00:10:49,387 Speaker 2: know the financials of the South African Rugby Union, but 228 00:10:49,427 --> 00:10:51,907 Speaker 2: I do know that they're allowing your players to play overseas, 229 00:10:52,267 --> 00:10:55,107 Speaker 2: and in my opinion, if we're allowed the All Blacks 230 00:10:55,107 --> 00:10:57,347 Speaker 2: to go overseas, all you're going to do is get 231 00:10:57,347 --> 00:10:59,987 Speaker 2: a much greater depth of players, because all of a 232 00:11:00,027 --> 00:11:01,587 Speaker 2: sudden you're going to have a whole lot of players 233 00:11:01,587 --> 00:11:04,867 Speaker 2: come up and take the places in the super teams 234 00:11:04,867 --> 00:11:07,827 Speaker 2: and the NPC teams of the guys going overseas, and 235 00:11:07,867 --> 00:11:10,267 Speaker 2: you're going to have much greater depth to pick from. Now. 236 00:11:10,307 --> 00:11:12,027 Speaker 2: I know there will be a lot of people screaming 237 00:11:12,027 --> 00:11:13,627 Speaker 2: out there it can't be done, it can't be done. 238 00:11:13,667 --> 00:11:16,147 Speaker 2: But what o the sayers? Look at South Africa, look 239 00:11:16,147 --> 00:11:19,707 Speaker 2: at Argentina, thind Soccer, look at Brazil somehow they managed 240 00:11:19,747 --> 00:11:23,507 Speaker 2: to do it, And look at the balance sheet of 241 00:11:23,507 --> 00:11:25,867 Speaker 2: the ends at are you, which is they've had to 242 00:11:25,867 --> 00:11:29,147 Speaker 2: sell off a serious percentage of the game and I 243 00:11:29,187 --> 00:11:31,347 Speaker 2: think they give up five percent of their gross revenue 244 00:11:31,387 --> 00:11:34,707 Speaker 2: to pay for that Silver Eat deal, which is effectively alone. Mate, 245 00:11:34,707 --> 00:11:37,827 Speaker 2: it's fair to space that this is unsustainable and you're 246 00:11:37,827 --> 00:11:40,107 Speaker 2: going to make some seriously big and hard decisions and 247 00:11:40,267 --> 00:11:43,307 Speaker 2: not do dis in future and complaining about ticket prices, 248 00:11:43,347 --> 00:11:45,187 Speaker 2: you should be gone. You should be screaming in New 249 00:11:45,227 --> 00:11:48,547 Speaker 2: Zealand Regy Union. Thank you so much for trying to 250 00:11:48,627 --> 00:11:51,147 Speaker 2: subsidize the game at home and selling tickets as simpney 251 00:11:51,147 --> 00:11:52,787 Speaker 2: as you are, rather than say they have been out 252 00:11:52,827 --> 00:11:58,107 Speaker 2: price of the game because internationally compared the international revenues, Mate, 253 00:11:58,107 --> 00:11:58,947 Speaker 2: what we get at home is. 254 00:11:58,987 --> 00:12:01,867 Speaker 1: Nothing, Dean. I can tell you we're going to open 255 00:12:01,867 --> 00:12:03,507 Speaker 1: the lines at the moment and they will light up 256 00:12:03,547 --> 00:12:06,347 Speaker 1: like a Christmas tree. You always give us something, Mate, 257 00:12:06,427 --> 00:12:09,467 Speaker 1: always entertaining and very informative chatting to you. Thanks for 258 00:12:09,507 --> 00:12:13,747 Speaker 1: taking the time this afternoon. Thanks mate, That's Steve Lornigan. 259 00:12:14,747 --> 00:12:18,547 Speaker 1: Plenty to unpack. There for more from Weekend Sport with 260 00:12:18,707 --> 00:12:22,107 Speaker 1: Jason Fine. Listen live to News Talk set B weekends 261 00:12:22,147 --> 00:12:25,227 Speaker 1: from midday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.