A PUSH for a radical restructuring of the National Rugby League seems to be gathering pace, with the former prime minister John Howard reportedly approached to head an independent commission to run the game.
The chief executive of the Gold Coast Titans, Michael Searle, who is heading an NRL committee to establish the commission with eight elected directors, said last night:
"We’re not going to speculate on, if and when the commission gets up and running, who the commission might be.
"The focus is making sure the most highly credentialled, well-respected commission is established and it could be a long process to get that in place. We have spoken to a number of candidates that fit the bill but speculation on individuals is not fair at this point.’’
The Daily Telegraph, which is owned by News Ltd, reported that Mr Howard had been asked to be the commission’s inaugural chairman.
It is believed News Ltd, which co-owns the NRL, wants to leave the game eventually.
"It’s fair to say that negotiations between News Ltd and the ARL are at a very delicate stage at the moment,’’ Mr Searle said. "It’s been a process that’s been ongoing for 18 months and the deal could swing one way or the other.
"An independent body to run the game at all levels is what we want – that would be the best outcome for rugby league. The timing is right but the mechanics are just not easy at this point."
Mr Howard, a St George-Illawarra fan, has a strong knowledge of the game and is seen as independent of its co-owners, News Ltd and the Australian Rugby League, neither of which would be reportedly represented on the commission.
The commission – which would be similar to that in the expansive Australian Football League – is being mooted to resolve complicated ownership issues among the NRL, the ARL, the NSWRL, the Country Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League.
The NRL has a six-year broadcasting deal (2007-12) with Channel Nine and Fox Sports valued at $500 million and is under pressure to significantly increase the fee in the next contract. The code enjoyed its highest ratings in years this year.
The AFL has a five-year deal worth $780 million. Its boss, Andrew Demetriou, has said he would expect this to increase by $200 million in the next contract.
The NRL chief executive, David Gallop, has confirmed that News Ltd would eventually leave the game but he was non-committal on the timing of the plan.