Agreement on independent commission finally reached

By David Beniuk, 12 Mar 2010 David Beniuk is a Roar Pro

Tagged:: ARL, independent commission, NRL, Rugby League

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Predictions it would be up and running before the NRL season began proved wide of the mark, but rugby league’s independent commission has finally been agreed to a day before the 2010 campaign kicks off.

The board of the Australian Rugby League has agreed in principle to a model proposed by its 50 per cent partner in the NRL, News Limited, for the last fragments of the Super League war of the 1990s to be buried.

The Queensland Rugby League had expressed reservations about the ARL relinquishing its 50 per cent voting rights but the board – comprising four NSW members, four from Queensland, chief executive Geoff Carr and chairman Colin Love – backed the move on Thursday.

Insisting relationships between NSW and Queensland “are fine”, Carr said the results of the vote would not be made public.

The commission, largely the brainchild of Gold Coast chief executive Michael Searle, received near unanimous support from NRL club chairmen, chief executives, coaches and players at a meeting in January.

An ARL statement on Thursday said it would be a not-for-profit entity that will include the NSW and Queensland Rugby Leagues as well as the 16 NRL clubs.

The eight commissioners will also be members of the not-for-profit entity.

The 16 NRL clubs, NSWRL and QRL will each have one vote in elections for the commissioners.

NRL chief executive David Gallop is expected to retain his position under the new structure.

“I think the point is there’s a hell of a lot of work to be done and it will be time to celebrate after all that work’s done because it’s going to be quite complex, the detail of this,” Carr said.

“But it certainly was a big step in the right direction.”

Carr said a timeframe was impossible to predict.

“There can’t be, everyone wants to get it right. No one wants to be left with a legacy of a failed structure,” he said.

“We’ve agreed in principle on a model, it’s very important that it takes us (into) the next hundred years so the detail has to be right.”

The next step, Carr said, would be a continuation of the regular meetings between News Limited and the ARL, who assumed joint control of the NRL when the divided leagues came together again in 1998.

“That’s a continuation of the current steps,” Carr said.

“We’ve committed to meet with them regularly to keep it moving.”

Love said the agreement represented a major step forward.

“The ARL believes that the in-principle agreement arrived at today will deliver a truly independent commission to run rugby league,” he said in the statement.

“There is still a huge amount of detail to be worked through but today’s agreement is a major step in the process.

“Both partners have committed to regular meetings to work through each of the points that will need to be discussed and the complex legal agreements that are involved.

“People need to understand there is still a lot of work ahead.”

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The Crowd Says (8) | Page 1 of Comments

oikee said | March 12th 2010 @ 7:00am | Report comment

All i want to know is when the NRL is going to find a station in the UK to show the game this year. ? Mate, come on, anyone with half a brain, no just some splattered brain matter happen to land on his foot, would realise that our game needs to have a outlet in the UK at the very least. Every other code is shown over there. Time to wake up, and fast.

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Col the Bear said | March 12th 2010 @ 9:10am | Report comment

Won’t be buried until the Bears are back,, thats the final fragmant of the super league war..and the day we’re playing out of gosford(Bear)stadium..full time.. hopefully by 2013.. 2012 will do us fine also…

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Rod said | March 12th 2010 @ 10:10am | Report comment

Bout time.

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Col the Bear said | March 12th 2010 @ 1:41pm | Report comment

so what happens to the CRL.. do they stay the same, or do they come under the same authority as everyone else..

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- rugbyfuture said | March 13th 2010 @ 12:10am | Report comment
  
  also what happens to the other states? (as in not the QRL and NSWRL) and their powers in regard to the development of their game.
  
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Corey said | March 12th 2010 @ 11:54pm | Report comment

Lets hope they get some smart guys in, not just some guys to fill the places. Even if they get people outside of the game, like NFL promoters and CEO’s. We need our game to be massive here and across the world. Sell our product to USA/Canada, UK and Russia and we will get on the map- also by expanding into cities, e.g. Perth and Central Coast.

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Crosscoder said | March 13th 2010 @ 8:27am | Report comment

That is why the ARL has 2 votes on the new commission:to ensure representative and junior(grassroots and that includes other states)) football is protected.And to ensure the clubs don’t syphon away money that should be for grassroots.The ARL was in the past responsible for the development of the game in other states.
As has been stated only 2 votes are needed to block any constitutional change.The ARL has QED that power.
If anything the states will have more money in which to develop the game, via a well upgraded TV contract and new sponsorship that is expected once News pulls out.
If you are trying to grow the game,no IC (with high profile business people, in their right mind),would try and reduce any rl presence in AFL states.Just using the AFL as an example.

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Paul J said | March 13th 2010 @ 8:39am | Report comment

It’s wonderful news for league fans. It will put league in the best position it has ever been in.

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