Highlanders chairman Ross Laidlaw admits the side is heading for a financial loss, but feels the franchise has a future in the south and an extensive review will begin as soon as the season ends.
A report in the Herald on Sunday yesterday said the franchise was heading for a $400,000 loss, and players were on the verge of leaving, with the likes of forwards Adam Thomson, Tom Donnelly and Alando Soakai all heading for the exit door.
The franchise sits in 12th place, and just has two games left in the season, both in Australia, against the Brumbies and the Reds.
It will finish the sixth straight year as the lowest-placed New Zealand side in Super rugby.
Laidlaw said a $400,000 deficit was wide of the mark, but he declined specify the size of the loss.
"We did budget for a loss and it would be wrong if we didn't.There is no point budgeting for a profit when you're not going to get one. But I can say it is a lot lower than the $400,000. We are trucking along with what we budgeted for," he said.
He said the loss would be revealed at a later time.
Crowds have not tuned up in large numbers with just 4500 at Invercargill on a very bleak night.
Laidlaw also confirmed there was an incident involving Highlanders assistant coach Peter Russell in Queenstown after the disappointing loss against the Force on April 10Russell's behaviour is believed to have embarrassed some players on the Saturday night after the game, and involved drinking, the Herald on Sunday reported.
Laidlaw said it was a minor incident, which had been dealt with internally, and he declined to comment on whether any penalty was handed out.
He said the organisation did not have to release the penalty, as it was not a "city council".
Laidlaw said as soon as the season ended an extensive review would be carried out.
"We need to have a discussion about the future and it will involve everyone, from the board to the video analyst. It's no point doing that now, when there are two games still left. We'll be talking to everyone about everything."
He said the future of coach Glenn Moore or Russell would come out in the review.
"This is going to not be a quick fix. It is going to be much more than simply ticking the boxes. The only way you can really find out things is if you talk to people face to face, one-on-one."
The review would not be simply a case of listening to everyone, as they would have to sift through a lot of what was said.
Outside help may be called in to help with the review, and he wanted it finished so a new plan could be in place for the new financial year for the Highlanders, which starts on July 1.
He denied the financial situation of the Highlanders was directly down to performance on the field.
"Ultimately, we've got to have a financially viable business. And if you don't have a financially viable business, than players won't come.
"I firmly believe we've got a future. But we've got to be meaner and leaner and not follow other franchises. We haven't got as much money to spend, so we need to be clever with what we spend."
It was unrealistic to go out and get a whole lot of top players.
On a population basis, the Highlanders were always going to struggle, but on a per-capita ratio did well in drawing in funds.
"But no-one else in the rest of the country probably agrees with that argument."
He said talk of players leaving was just speculation and some of the predicted moves were just rubbish.
Thomson's and Donnelly's contracts with Otago finish at the end of this season.
Soakai has re-signed until the end of 2011, though like most professional contracts, his has an out clause should a tempting overseas offer arise.
