LLANELLI should receive only half the money of merged teams if they insist on standing alone - and their current success is only temporary, says Newport benefactor Tony Brown.

He reveals that Newport lose over £1m a year and says he would welcome financial help at tomorrow night's meeting of club season ticket holders and shareholders.

Llanelli have refused to combine with anyone from day one of the row on the future structure that is consuming Welsh rugby.

"There is £1.8m available for four sides next season, but if Llanelli wish to stand alone they should only get £900,000, they shouldn't have the same as the rest," said Brown.

"Any club standing alone should get half the money of merged clubs. You would have to pay contracts out for a regional side when some players might not be wanted, but if you stand alone you don't have those obligations.

"If Llanelli want to operate on half the money I wouldn't object.

"Llanelli are enjoying a purple patch at the moment, but every club does that. There's nothing more special about Llanelli than Newport, Cardiff or Swansea. I'm getting tired of them saying they're any different.

"In three years time they'll probably be the same as the rest. They've quite happily pinched players from other sides, anyway.

"They make all this fuss about standing alone, but they don't seem to produce many of their own."

Brown says he understands the arguments of Newport fans who wish the club to stand alone, but they would have to come up with the money to make that possible.

"I can understand what they are saying, but emotion doesn't pay the bills and we can't carry on as we have," he said.

"I will explain to the meeting the circumstances as they are. We've got to face facts. We can't base it on emotion, there's been too much of that.

"It costs a certain amount of money to run a professional rugby club, and if you haven't got it you have to cut your cloth.

"If people would like to fund the club to the extent where it could stand alone I'd be happy to hand over the reins and hold a watching brief.

"What I would say is God help everyone if it stays as nine clubs. People complain about the quality now, but it would be a lot worse and I wouldn't want to be a Welsh player in those circumstances.

"We would have to take a lot of the cost out of the club. I have given an undertaking to honour contracts, but I'd be wary of entering into new ones."

Leading players are already negotiating contracts with new clubs because of the uncertainty in Welsh rugby.

"You can't blame them," said Brown. "We're drinking in the last chance saloon."