RUGBY league's new fearless leader is said to be from the banking world, and there is every chance you have never heard his name. We wish him all the best - the identity of the new chief executive is being guarded like the Hope Diamond - but it appears the game has missed out on the Andrew Demetriou-like figurehead with steel-capped boots ideal for kicking heads.
The impasse between the Eels and the NRL in securing Israel Folau is another indication of a game desperately requiring strong leadership. If Demetriou were in charge, he would surely have Folau stitched up with the billboards along Parramatta Road already in place.
He would have the foresight to know Folau is a thousand-watt superstar, wanting to return to his preferred code, to the powerhouse that is Parramatta, which finished at the bottom of the table last season, out there on the footy battlefield that is the Golden West of Sydney.
The Eels want to back-end the Folau deal and pay him a nominal amount in the first year. This column has been told NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert has told them his market value is about $350,000 to $400,000 - which seems excessive for a bloke who is a risk considering he hasn't played league for two years.
Parramatta will need to move players on, starting with centre Willie Tonga, to accommodate Folau. But what happens if they cannot?
With the utmost respect for the salary cap, Schubert and the job he does, surely the bigger picture of letting Folau join his church-lovin' mates at Parramatta needs to be considered.
Indeed, this situation is becoming eerily similar to that of Greg Inglis two years ago, when he was squeezed out of Melbourne and found himself stuck between the Broncos and the Bunnies.
Those close to Inglis say we'll never know how close he went to signing with Essendon out of pure frustration. Given his importance to the game - an indigenous icon, with the form to back it up - can you imagine how disastrous it would've been if that happened?
The likes of Inglis and Folau are not bit players. They are Australian players. Nobody is watching your game without them.
Demetriou has shown in recent years that he's prepared to suck up whatever venom is sprayed at him from the AFL establishment when it comes to the greater good of his code. Another consideration is Eels coach Ricky Stuart's statement this week when he said he felt he was "punching his head against a brick wall" over the Folau negotiations.
For the sake of innocent brick walls across the city, let's hope the deal is done soon.
