Five businessmen, leading businesswoman and former Test forward on commission
Brent Read
From: The Australian
June 18, 2011 12:00AM
COACHES, players and administrators continue to plead for a radical overhaul of the season schedule, but the final say will rest with five respected businessmen, a leading businesswoman, a former Australia forward and an advertising guru.
While NRL chief executive David Gallop and his team will continue to play a central role in developing policy, the inaugural eight members of the game's independent commission will be charged with finalising direction on issues such as season scheduling, representative football and the next broadcasting deal.
The frustration for the NRL and its clubs is the time it has taken to have the commission in place. The Australian revealed this week that prominent businessman Jeremy Sutcliffe, a director of building and aluminium company CSR, had been earmarked for the final position on the commission.
The other seven commissioners have already been identified: IT guru John Grant, former Qantas and Billabong chairman Gary Pemberton, Leighton Holdings chief financial officer Peter Gregg, former Australia forward Wayne Pearce, Harris Farm markets founder Catherine Harris, advertising figure Ian Elliott and former Ansett executive Mark Williamson. Former Australia back John Grant is tipped to be inaugural chairman.
The only thing holding up the announcement of the commissioners is the spat between the ARL and other stakeholders over a push for western Sydney lawyer Jim Marsden ahead of Mark Williamson, with Williamson tipped to hold his spot.
But that won't be the end of the matter. Several issues still need to be finalised before the commission takes over the running of the game from News Limited, publisher of The Weekend Australian, and the ARL. Given the dialogue, the body appears unlikely to be in place by the time the NRL and clubs hold a meeting on July 21 to discuss the game's key issues.
There was a push from several chief executives to bring the meeting forward and include club chairmen, but that appears to have waned. The meeting is expected to play a key role in determining recommendations for the season schedule and shape of broadcasting negotiations for next season and beyond.
But nothing can be finalised until the commission is formed and the commissioners agree on the game's future direction. "We certainly intend to put some proposals to the club meeting on July 21 and get their input, but ultimately it will be a question for the governing body to determine, and hopefully at some stage that will be the new commission structure," Gallop said.
While the NRL and its clubs are looking at the July 21 meeting as a focal point, the Rugby League Players Association intends to have a firm stance on the season schedule in place by the end of this month, and wants to relay its concerns to the commission once it is in place.
RLPA chief executive David Garnsey held talks with several club captains this week and will seek the view of the players early next week. He is hopeful the association will have a policy in place soon after, probably to recommend stand-alone State of Origin games, most likely from 2013 when the games will be played under a new broadcasting deal.
"We have started dialogue with our players on the issues where we can reasonably predict everything that will happen," Garnsey said.
"As a players' association, it's not surprising we would focus on the player welfare issues involved. I think it's essential we have a policy in place."
Asked when, he said: "I would have thought very soon."
As for the prospects of relaying the players' stance to the commission, Garnsey said it would be difficult to see the game's new leaders not wanting the players input.
