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Speaker 1: Nt Major Events have indeed announced that Darwin's going to

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Speaker 1: host the Paramatta Eels again next year, but it's going

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Speaker 1: to be their final match as the Northern Territories national

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Speaker 1: rugby league team. So a special partnership between the government

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Speaker 1: and the Eels is going to draw to a close

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Speaker 1: after twelve years, with new opportunities being explored to create

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Speaker 1: fresh connections for sports fans. Now joining me on the

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Speaker 1: line to shed a bit more light on the decision

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Speaker 1: is int Major Events Company Acting CEO Trevor Cox.

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Speaker 2: Good morning, Trevor, Good morning Katie.

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Speaker 1: How are you yeah, really well Trevor. Why is the

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Speaker 1: partnership with the Eels coming to an end? Oh?

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Speaker 2: Look, it's seen a great partnership for twelve years with

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Speaker 2: the Eels. I think all territories. You know, they're dubbed

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Speaker 2: the Territory Eels for a reason. We've embraced them, have

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Speaker 2: embraced the territory as well. It's been awesome to see

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Speaker 2: the workup done in the community, not just here in

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Speaker 2: down but you know, Catherine Arnamal and Alice Springs over

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Speaker 2: the years, they've really led into the partnership have been

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Speaker 2: a great partner. But unfortunately after twelve years, the decision

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Speaker 2: has been made that we move on. They're looking at

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Speaker 2: other opportunities and it's now our turn to go out

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Speaker 2: and look for another club to represent the NT.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. Was it driven by the Northern Territory government or

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Speaker 1: was it driven by the Eels the ending of the partnership.

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Speaker 2: No, it was a mutual arrangement between INTE Major Events

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Speaker 2: and the Eels. So we run the NRAL game here

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Speaker 2: each year on behalf of the NT government. The contract

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Speaker 2: came to an end and so a discussion has had

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Speaker 2: mid year around what twenty twenty six and beyond looks like.

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Speaker 2: And the Eels have decided that you know, they're going

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Speaker 2: to look for opportunities elsewhere and we'll do the same.

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Speaker 1: Is another NRL club already being considered or our talks

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Speaker 1: already underway?

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Speaker 2: Absolutely? Key message here, Katie is that you know, twenty

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Speaker 2: twenty five, the Eels are back for their last game

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Speaker 2: and we really encourage all territories to get behind them

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Speaker 2: and send them off in a fantastic way. Tickets will

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Speaker 2: go and so at the end of this month, so

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Speaker 2: dive in territorians, let's support the Yields for their last

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Speaker 2: home game in the territory and yes, we are already

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Speaker 2: in discussion with several clubs, so I was interested in

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Speaker 2: your little intro there about who you've got your eyes on.

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Speaker 1: Well, mate, both my brothers coach at the Dolphins, so

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Speaker 1: I'm definitely going the Darwin Dolphins. Is my push?

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Speaker 2: Well, it all helps you know, we may have had

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Speaker 2: discussions with them as early as last week.

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Speaker 1: Good good to hear. Well, you know there is sort

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Speaker 1: of a real push though, I guess for a Queensland team,

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Speaker 1: and I suppose there is that synergy in the sense

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Speaker 1: that you know, like a lot of Northern Australians do

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Speaker 1: really love the NRL and love you know, I love

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Speaker 1: their football of all codes, but when it comes to

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Speaker 1: their rugby league teams, a lot of Northern Territorians do

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Speaker 1: barrack for Queensland sites.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, and that's a feedback we've got, you know,

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Speaker 2: through our research over the years as well. So a

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Speaker 2: key part of the partnership with Paramatta was that they

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Speaker 2: were to try and carry guide and you'll probably remember

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Speaker 2: that game against Broncos a couple of years ago, Like

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Speaker 2: people were packed at the whole To stadium. They were

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Speaker 2: just completely choppers and that was just a great weekend

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Speaker 2: of and week leading in of excitement right across the

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Speaker 2: territory at the start of our dry season. It's super

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Speaker 2: important that this game is timed in April when we're

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Speaker 2: just starting to get that good weather come through and

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Speaker 2: people are up and about.

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Speaker 1: I mean, we do see with the AFL all the

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Speaker 1: contracts with the Suns seems to be a really sort

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Speaker 1: of beneficial one in a lot of ways. And I

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Speaker 1: guess you can also see the synergies between having a

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Speaker 1: partnership maybe with a newer club like we do with

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Speaker 1: the AFL, in that you know, they're trying to boost

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Speaker 1: them their supporters, they're trying to boost the number of

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Speaker 1: members that they've got. So I mean, I don't know,

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Speaker 1: like stepping away from the fact that I've clearly got

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Speaker 1: a conflict of interest with the Dolphins, stepping away from that,

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Speaker 1: you do sort of go, is a newer NRL side

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Speaker 1: the way to go.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, our decision making is we use the research

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Speaker 2: that we've done over the last twelve years, but we're

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Speaker 2: also looking at the national research around I guess the

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Speaker 2: supportership of clubs. You know, what viewership they get If

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Speaker 2: we get a free to wear match that sort of thing,

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Speaker 2: the propensity for their members to travel, you know, do

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Speaker 2: they have a good corporate following so that we can

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Speaker 2: run corporate events when they're in town, so that we

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Speaker 2: get engagement through our business networks and their business networks.

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Speaker 2: So a lot goes into it. Absolutely, And but yeah,

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Speaker 2: exactly what you said. Maybe it's time for a newer

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Speaker 2: club or someone to come through, but we're working through it.

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Speaker 2: At the moment. We've got a lot way until the

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Speaker 2: draws announced to the twenty twenty sixth season. But will

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Speaker 2: give me the first to know, Katie.

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Speaker 1: I want to know our listeners love their footing, There's

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Speaker 1: no doubt about that. But Trevor can like, I mean,

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Speaker 1: is there really a guarantee though that you know that

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Speaker 1: NTY Major Events and the Government are absolutely committed to

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Speaker 1: continuing to have NRL after twenty twenty five.

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Speaker 2: Look, I've had no indication from the government not to

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Speaker 2: go forward with our negotiations, so we are pursuing this

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Speaker 2: in earnest And yeah, as soon as we come.

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Speaker 1: To a good stuff, well we will be keen as

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Speaker 1: I know that all of our listeners will be keen

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Speaker 1: to find out Trevor. Lovely to speak with you this morning.

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Speaker 1: I really appreciate you joining us on the show. Yeah

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Speaker 1: good that cheat. Good on you. Thank you,