The NRL says the future of the Newcastle Knights is not in jeopardy despite the Australian Tax Office applying for a liquidator to be appointed to the club.
The ATO on Thursday applied for both of owner Nathan Tinkler's teams, the Knights and the A-League's Newcastle Jets, and their parent company Hunter Sports Group, to be wound up due to unpaid debts.
According to documents filed in the Federal Court in Sydney, the Knights owe more than $AU1.4 million to the tax office, the Jets owe just over $AU1 million, while Hunter Sports Group is $184,000 in the red.
However NRL interim chief executive Shane Mattiske said he was confident the future of the Knights was not under threat.
"In relation to the ownership by Hunter Sports Group, guarantees have been put in place by the Commission to safeguard the Knights position,'' Mattiske told AAP.