Club Execs To Discuss National Rugby League Leadership Performance

Some of the National Rugby League's "most powerful figures have arranged a meeting on Friday to discuss the performance of the NRL leadership and its handling and direction of the game," according to Adrian Proszenko of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. A handful of "influential" officials will meet in Sydney to "discuss the performance of head office and gauge the mood in club land." If there is a "groundswell of dissatisfaction," a meeting will be called for next week. One of the biggest issues is the financial performance of the game. While the Australian Rugby League Commission "trumpeted a surplus" of almost A$50M ($40.4M) in its annual report, some club officials are "sceptical about the figures and how the money is being distributed." An accounting firm has been engaged to "go over the figures because of the belief the NRL is not providing a true representation of its financial performance." Other grievances include crowd numbers, the game's stadiums strategy and the "rise in NRL executive salaries" (SMH, 5/14).