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NRL 2018: Clubs split on constitutional reform risks new rugby league civil war
The NRL is on the brink of a damaging new civil war amid suggestions that as many as five clubs plan to reject proposed constitutional reform at a secret ballot next Wednesday.
After many months of negotiations and drafting, the changes to the Australian Rugby League Commission constitution will be voted on by clubs at the NRL annual general meeting in Sydney. It will take the opposition of just two clubs, or either the NSWRL or QRL, to derail them.
With conversations between club chairmen and their boards heating up as the vote approaches, the indication is that there are more than enough clubs planning to knock back the terms of the reforms, with their primary reservation being the power that the states would assume when granted seats on the commission.
A series of club board meetings in the coming days appear set to determine the fate of the proposed overhaul, which would see the commission expanded from eight members to 10 with two seats for club representatives and one each claimed by the states. However, Fairfax Media was told as many as five clubs were in the "no" camp a week out from the vote and unless they can be convinced into a last-minute change of heart the process seems doomed.
Such a failure would send the clubs' quest for a voice on the commission back to square one and leave former Queensland premier Peter Beattie, who is expected to take over as chairman from the departing John Grant at the AGM, with the assignment of charting an alternative way forward and averting a fresh outbreak of hostility between League Central and powerful dissenters in clubland.
Beattie has been active on social media this week with the landmark vote approaching.
"The NRL AGM on February 21 will decide on the future of constitutional reform," Beattie said. "If I am fortunate enough to be elected chair, the game will move forward immediately. How that is done will depend on the outcome of the meeting.
"I will be consulting widely before and after the AGM with the current and future commissioners and the leaders of the game. We will not be standing still."
Clubs last week voted for Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys and Sydney lawyer Glen Selikowitz to be their representatives on a new 10-person commission and NSW chairman George Peponis and QRL chairman Bruce Hatcher would be the other additions, replaced by independents after 18 months.
Grant, who has expressed concerns about the terms of the reforms, and fellow commissioner Catherine Harris would be the two members of the current eight-person commission to make way.
However, key supporters of the changes such as Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis and South Sydney chairman Nick Pappas, who has drafted them, now face the likelihood of having their bid for club representation on the commission falling over.
It is unclear what Beattie, the presumptive chairman, will do in this instance but one option that may placate unhappy club bosses would be to install V'Landys, who received unanimous support to be one of their representatives, on the commission as an independent while designing another path towards constitutional change.
That would leave one other independent seat to fill and Harvey Norman chief executive Katie Page's name has been tossed around as one that may satisfy enough of the clubs.
The pro-reform bloc enters the vote having lost one of its major backers, ousted Canterbury chairman Ray Dib, and new Bulldogs chairwoman Lynne Anderson has not said publicly whether the new board at Belmore would retain its predecessor's stance.
The crestfallen Dib will at least retain his place as a NSWRL director alongside Peponis and Politis after Cronulla chairman Dino Mezzatesta on Tuesday withdrew his nomination to join the board at Friday's AGM.
Dib and former Parramatta director Geoff Gerard will as a result keep their seats on the NSWRL board.
