The National Rugby League has begun interviews with 10 external applicants for the role of CEO and "identified up to half a dozen potential candidates from within the game in the hope of announcing the new boss in April," according to Michael Chammas of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The NRL is meeting with all 10 external applicants, with "the aim of whittling down the number to a shortlist of two or three by mid February." Interviews with the rugby league-linked candidates "will follow and will also be reduced to similar numbers to provide the NRL with a final list of four to six applicants to choose from at the end of next month." While the NRL's "quest to find Dave Smith's successor was global," all 10 remaining external applicants are based in Australia. Canterbury Bulldogs CEO Raelene Castle, the former boss of Netball New Zealand who joined the Bulldogs as Todd Greenberg's successor in '13, "is one of the names on the internal shortlist." Greenberg, who is currently the NRL head of football, "is also on the list." Panthers Group CEO Warren Wilson has been "heavily linked to the role, but there is a strong push from within club land for Warriors boss Jim Doyle to return to the NRL" (SMH, 1/19).
