Tuesday 24 February 2015 10:45, UK
Australian rugby league side Gold Coast Titans have been taken over by the sport's governing body in a move to secure the club's long-term future.
The decision comes in the wake of the drugs scandal which has rocked the club.
National Rugby League chief executive Dave Smith said the Titans were facing serious financial difficulties and the NRL has, therefore, decided to terminate their licence and take over the running of the club itself.
The club has been placed in voluntary administration by the directors after conceding they could no longer continue to meet their financial obligations, including staff and player salaries.
"The only difference for Titans fans is that they will have the security of knowing their team has a long-term future on the Gold Coast," Smith said.
It's not the end of the world and we will solve these problems
"This is an important region for rugby league and the Titans remain part of our long-term plans for the game. This move will give the club a fresh start with the certainty that the players, staff and fans want."
The Titans are the second club to come under the wing of the governing body after the NRL took control of Newcastle Knights.
Two previous Gold Coast clubs in the top-flight domestic rugby league competition have folded, and the region had a poor track record of supporting football clubs in national competitions.
The Titans are also without a major sponsor less than two weeks from the kick-off of the 2015 NRL season and did not have long-term deals in place for training venues.
Five players, including New South Wales State of Origin forward Greg Bird, have been stood down from the Titans playing group after being issued with notices to appear in court next month to face drug-related allegations. All five have denied the charges.
Smith added: "There have been a series of problems. These problems are too big for the existing board to get across.
"It's not the end of the world and we will solve these problems. We will build a club the fans can be proud of."
