The National Rugby League says it's to put more than $200 million into growing rugby league over the next four years, as it continues to jostle for space in a cramped sporting landscape against rival codes.
The NRL has outlined a number of challenges ahead of the game, including the ongoing drugs scandal.
Despite a record billion dollar media deal the game's governing body conceded TV ratings and crowd figures had fallen slightly last season, putting that down to the poor performance of the better supported teams.
The NRL enjoyed a record $50 million profit last year and NRL chief executive Dave Smith says much of that will be returned to the game to foster its development.
The NRL also invested $2.5 million into new governance measures including the Integrity Unit and drug testing in a response to off-field indiscretions and the ASADA affair.
