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http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ne-to-lead-the-commission-20110131-1ab78.htmlQuayle is still in line to lead the commission
Brad Walter
February 1, 2011
In contention ... John Quayle. Photo: Iain Gillespie
FORMER ARL supremo John Quayle remains in contention to be the inaugural chairman of the newly formed independent commission, as clubs are prepared to sack commissioners if they are not satisfied with the quality of candidates appointed by News Ltd and the ARL.
In the wake of the Herald's revelation yesterday that Quayle was not on a list of 128 candidates for the eight commissioner posts drawn up by a consultancy firm, it has emerged that the ARL and QRL are yet to forward the names of nominees, meaning the number of candidates to be considered is set to grow even larger.
However, the Herald has been told that unless those appointed are better qualified than the eight candidates selected by club representatives from a lengthy identification and interview process, a vote will be called to remove the commissioners.
''If the clubs aren't happy with any of the commissioners then all it will take is 14 votes on the day after the commission is formed to remove them,'' a club official said.
Under the constitution of the new body, clubs can not appoint commissioners but have the ability to remove them with 14 of the 26 votes afforded to the 16 NRL clubs, the NSWRL and QRL and the eight commissioners required to effect such change.
A list of eight preferred commissioners - which included Quayle, former Billabong, Qantas, Brambles and NSW TAB boss Gary Pemberton and Stanford University professor George Foster, who specialises in sports business management - has already been devised by the clubs. It is understood Quayle would be the chairman.
Despite not being on the extensive list provided to News Ltd and the ARL by international recruitment consultancy firm Spencer Stuart, Quayle can still be nominated when a sub-committee comprising of News Ltd chief operating officer Peter Macourt, ARL chairman John Chalk, QRL director Terry Mackenroth and South Sydney chairman Nicholas Pappas, representing the clubs, reviews the suggested candidates.
The candidates put forward by Spencer Stuart's head of board services and executive practices John Mumm, an Australian Rugby Union director, have been categorised into various areas of expertise such as: finance and accounting; legal affairs; sporting; government and community relations; business; media and communications; marketing and sponsorship; and, capital management and investment banking.
Mumm has also suggested the board have a geographical balance, with candidates from NSW, Queensland, Victoria and New Zealand, as well as female representation and cultural diversity. It is recommended that those appointed have a genuine empathy and interest in rugby league.
Despite fears that the independent commission may not be in place before the start of the season on March 12, a News Ltd spokesman told the Herald yesterday that the media company expected the eight commissioners to be appointed before the end of February.
''News Ltd is committed to ending its involvement in the running of the game and has been working to that effect with the ARL for the past 15 months,'' the spokesman said.
''This is happening several years earlier than anticipated and the timing and manner of News Ltd's exit has never been firmly set down but News has opted to walk away in the best interests of the game, as has the ARL.''
ARL chief executive Geoff Carr also said he was confident the independent commission would be operating before the start of the season. However, Carr said he was still waiting to receive the list of 128 candidates drawn up by Mumm.
It is understood that the list was compiled from nominations forwarded to Mumm and from Spencer Stuart's data base of business executives.
Why, the comms have to held accountable as well.
I haven't heard anything about it if he was. He's a guy who I have followed pretty closely. If he has no affiliation to AFL then I would be very happy to have him aboard.
There has to be some way to remove a commissioner. It'd be better if it was 14 out of 16 *and* one of the NSWRL or QRL but the deal is done. That said, regardless of the exact process, this would be a terribly bad precedent to have the removal procedure triggered on day one. This should be a very rarely used process and the longer it goes without being used, the harder it will be to pull together the required numbers when the time does come. More thought will go into something that is seen as unusual than something that from day one has just been the way business is done. It would better for everyone in the long run if we just selected the right people in the first place.
