3 Mar 2011

Newcastle to consider $100m takeover bid

6:39 am on 3 March 2011

The Newcastle Kinghts league board will meet today to discuss the $100 million takeover bid from mining magnate Nathan Tinkler.

The meeting was originally scheduled for yesterday, but was postponed for 24 hours to allow all board members to analyse the hefty document in more detail.

Incredibly, the deal described by club chairman Robert Tew as a "mirage" less than a fortnight ago, was tagged yesterday by the club's chief executive Steve Burraston as the best ever in NRL history.

Newcastle has roughly 3,000 voting members who will decide on the 30th of this month whether to accept Tinkler's offer of private ownership, or remain as a membership-based community club.

The Knights captain Kurt Gidley says Tinkler had already won over the playing group, who have thrown their support behind the bid.