New Australian Rugby League Commission Chair Peter Beattie "will need to call upon every bit of his political nous" after the game’s "worst fears were realized" on Wednesday when the clubs were "unable to agree on constitutional reform," according to Michael Carayannis of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. On the same day Beattie was sworn in as the ARLC's replacement for John Grant, three of the 16 clubs "would not commit to a reworked constitution with a vote now delayed," leaving Beattie and National Rugby League CEO Todd Greenberg to "clean up the mess." Beattie's first task as chair will be to convince "at least two" of the three dissenting clubs -- Canterbury, Melbourne and Gold Coast -- to vote in favor of constitutional reform when the 16 clubs come together again on March 12. Clubs met for about an hour and a half before Wednesday’s AGM, where it became clear that they would "not have the 15 clubs needed for the motion to be carried." As a result, the clubs "opted against voting" and extended the consultation period. Beattie: "What the clubs have requested me to do in partnership with Todd is also the same request from NSW and Queensland Rugby Leagues -- they have asked me to talk to three clubs who still have some matters they want to discuss in terms of the rule changes. I have agreed to do that" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 2/21). In Sydney, Brent Read reported Melbourne Storm Chair Bart Campbell "has been painted as the stumbling block to constitutional reform" but he "indicated the gap between the Storm and fellow clubs may not be that wide." He promised Beattie a "warm reception" as the new ARLC chair "prepares to travel to Victoria to head off the latest outbreak of civil unrest in the code." Greenberg "will also attend the meetings." Campbell has given Beattie and Greenberg "hope," although it is understood he harbors concerns over the "diminished independence of the commission under the proposed changes." Campbell: "Melbourne Storm want constitutional reform. Melbourne Storm, led by me, had constitutional reform put into the MOU (agreed to in 2016). The constitutional reform that was enshrined in the MOU is not the constitutional reform that is before everyone today. Having said that, if what is being proposed has a couple of tweaks we will support it" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 2/22).
EXTRA TIME: In Sydney, Matt Bungard reported fans will be treated to "several minutes of extra game time" during the '18 NRL season, with the governing body announcing on Wednesday a plan to "enforce a clock stoppage after conversion attempts." The 30-second shot clock, which was already in place for the final five minutes of matches, will now be used for the entire 80 minutes in a move that NRL GM of Elite Competitions Jason King said would see the ball in play for an "extra three minutes a game." He said, "At the moment, the time taken for players to return to the halfway line to restart play is wasted time as far as the fans are concerned" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2/21).
