Eels to have new NRL board by Round 1

Parramatta will aim to have their new board installed before the first round of next year’s NRL season.

As they look to put their horror 2016 campaign behind them, appointed administrator Max Donnelly on Wednesday called for independent applications to the the new seven-person board.

Applications will close on December 5, with interviews anticipated to take place throughout December, January and February.

“I would like to interview the people I think meet the criteria and then be able to appoint the board by the time the season starts,” Donnelly told AAP.

In a bid to avoid the ghosts of the past, previous directors will be banned from taking up a position on the board.

Former players will not cop the same treatment, but Donnelly says a background in rugby league does not automatically qualify someone for the job.

“If someone was a great businessman and had wonderful ideas about how to raise sponsorships and didn’t know a lot about football, that wouldn’t stop them from being on the board,” Donnelly said.

“Whereas if someone knew a lot about football, but nothing about business, it’s not quite so good.”

In a shake-up aimed at ensuring stability at the club, Donnelly will sit on the board for at least the first year to oversee operations while Jim Sarantinos will be the other Leagues Club representative.

It’s also hoped individual selection, via an independent committee, will stop the political in-fighting which has previously sunk the club.

“There should be no factions, moving forward,” Donnelly said.

“These five people will be individually appointed – they didn’t go in with a ticket.”

Parramatta’s previous board was sacked following the salary-cap scandal which hit the club in 2016, leading to them being docked 12 competition points and fined $1 million for systematic rorting.

The club continues to cooperate fully with the Australian Tax Office and NSW Fraud Squad as investigations continue into the Leagues Club’s actions during the period.

However, they have turned over a new leaf with chief executive Bernie Gurr beginning work last month, and he and coach Brad Arthur on the lookout for a new football manager.