National Rugby League side St. George Illawarra "spent tens of thousands of dollars commissioning an independent recruiting firm" to scan almost 100 applicants for its CEO role before appointing Chair Brian Johnston, who was not "an original candidate," according to Adam Pengilly of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The Dragons "defended the integrity of their recruiting process for one of the most coveted jobs in the NRL," having "parachuted long-time administrator Johnston into the role" after finalizing a deal with WIN Corporation to take a 50% stake in the club. The club received submissions from 98 administrators across a number of sports both domestically and internationally when it hired "respected recruitment agency" Sportspeople back in April. Johnston, who headed a sub-committee charged with finding incumbent CEO Peter Doust's replacement, "did not originally express a formal interest about transitioning from the chairmanship." But when WIN, which had told the club it "no longer had an interest in purchasing the Illawarra Steelers’ stake in the joint venture back in April, quietly came back to the negotiating table," its representatives expressed a desire for Johnston to take on the role. Doust said that it was a "deliberate process" and Johnston's "qualifications and experience" as well as "passion for the Dragons" made him the No. 1 choice for the job (SMH, 8/21).
A LONG TIME COMING: In Sydney, Roy Masters reported following the agreement struck last Wednesday, St. George Illawarra has both money and talent, "meaning the future of both the Dragons as a club and rugby league as a code in the Illawarra region are guaranteed." WIN is believed to have paid the Steelers, which held 50% of the joint venture, A$10M ($7.3M), of which A$5.8M ($4.3M) was repaid to the NRL on Thursday, representing the final payment of a loan. Andrew Gordon, son of Bruce, "the founder of the mega-rich, Wollongong-based TV and communications company," will be the new chair of the NRL club. It was "Andrew’s passion for the club, code and his city, together with a lightning trip to America" by Doust, that "resurrected the deal when WIN withdrew in May after nearly two years of torturous negotiations." Asked why "such a natural deal would take so long to conclude," Doust said, "WIN Corporation always had a lot on its agenda, although it was always Andrew’s wish for it to happen" (SMH, 8/20).
