OK, my mate's mail wasn't right about being operational before Australia Day, but all the legal documents are on track to be signed off by then. Reading this, sounds like more launches than Sydney Harbour....
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...agged-as-independence-day-20120121-1qb6v.html
February 10 flagged as independence day
Daniel Lane
January 22, 2012
FEBRUARY 10 is the most likely date for rugby league's independence day, when the highly anticipated independent commission will finally come into being.
With it, two years of tough and often frustrating negotiations between the NRL's co-owners, the ARL and media company News Ltd, will come to an end.
The announcement of the commission's arrival is expected to coincide with a ''government'' opening of the game's new multimillion-dollar headquarters, Rugby League Central, at Moore Park, on the same day.
With state government officials, including Premier Barry O'Farrell and dignitaries expected to be on hand for the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon, people involved in the game view it as the perfect opportunity to ring in the code's new era.
Rugby league's eight commissioners - John Grant, Catherine Harris, Ian Elliott, Peter Gregg, Gary Pemberton, Jeremy Sutcliffe, Wayne Pearce and Chris Sarra - are to gather in Sydney on Tuesday to oversee what should be the final arrangements.
The due diligence, external arrangements and agreements between the ARL and News Ltd have been finalised after late complications were overcome.
The NRL chief executive, David Gallop, told The Sun-Herald he expected details of the commission's implementation - hitting the ''go'' button - would be announced soon.
''The eight commissioners will meet on Tuesday to finalise their due diligence exercise,'' Gallop said. ''With the game moving into Rugby League Central over the long weekend and a number of launches planned [around that] - including the government launch on the 10th of February - there'll hopefully be more certainty about the actual formation date in the coming days.''
The commissioners will need to hit the ground running. At the top of the to-do list is a new broadcast deal and plans to increase the number of teams in the league.
However, NSW Origin captain Paul Gallen added another item to the agenda. He hopes the commission will ensure the players - who feature in television's highest-rating programs each year - are better looked after.
''People might think it's rugby league players being greedy and wanting more money, but I think the salary cap should be increased,'' he said. ''The top-line players in the AFL earn $2 million a year, that's four times the amount the top league players make, and I can see no reason why superstars like Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater and the superstars people go to watch shouldn't be earning the money their equivalents in the AFL are.
''At the other end of the scale, we have [first graders] on $55,000. While it's good the league has players getting [education or trade credentials] behind them they have to start their life all over again at 23 or 24 [if, for whatever reason, they leave league].''
In November, all 16 clubs gave the commission their strongest possible endorsement by signing club licences to compete for the new ARL body for the next seven years. There have been several false starts. Last year, April 30 was flagged as independence day but passed by.
Last week, former ARL chairman Ken Arthurson voiced the thoughts of many when he told The Sun-Herald he was ''bewildered'' the commission was not yet up and running. ''I think in these instances, once someone makes a decision of this magnitude it has to be seen through
procrastination isn't advisable at this stage,'' Arthurson said.
