But officials have warned that ARL chairman Colin Love could be thrown out of office if he fails to deliver the long-awaited commission by the start of next season. The 16 NRL clubs have been called to a meeting in Sydney on January 18 to discuss their next moves and a strategy to put pressure on the Australian Rugby League to accept a deal to exit the game with News Ltd.

The Sunday Telegraph has obtained an email from Gold Coast boss Michael Searle to the 16 clubs which includes plans to invite all CEOs, chairmen, coaches and captains to the meeting at the Sheraton on the Park.

WAR THREAT

No chance at all. The meeting of all 16 clubs on January 18 has been called to give clubs an update on talks with News Ltd and to get their commitment to set up the independent commission.We spoke to a range of chief executives yesterday who all said a breakaway competition had not been discussed.

Gold Coast managing director Michael Searle, who will chair the meeting, said: "It's an information meeting and that's why we've invited all CEOs, chairmen, coaches and captains. We're going to update all the clubs and discuss ways of pressing ahead to get the commission up and running."

South Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson, who has been on the committee established to set up the commission, said there was no chance of a breakaway. "Never at any committee meeting or any CEOs' meeting of the clubs have we ever discussed anything to do with breaking contracts or breaking away," Richardson said. "All we've discussed is we're unanimous in our view that we need to have an independent commission running the game."

Wests Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys, the Bulldogs' Todd Greenberg and the Dragons' Peter Doust also shot down any suggestion of a rebel competition. "Things like war counsels and breakaways were news to me, but I can understand to some degree the depth of feeling that sits behind that emotion," Humphreys said.

"Everyone in the game is universal in their view that the independent commission is what we want. It's certainly time or overdue for that to happen. I don't think any of us want some kind of deep war to implement change."

 

COLIN LOVE

There is a feeling within the clubs that Love has lacked leadership skills by failing to get support from ARL board members for the commission. One source told us Love's position as chairman of the ARL could come under attack at the January 18 meeting. 

"We're hoping to settle this peacefully, but there is nothing to stop the clubs calling an extraordinary general meeting of the NSW Rugby League and delivering a no-confidence motion in Colin as chairman," the source said. "It's definitely one option if we can't make more progress in getting the ARL to agree to the commission."

Love was unavailable for comment yesterday but ARL chief executive Geoff Carr said the clubs have the power to call an emergency meeting to discuss Love's position.

 

THE EMAIL

Gold Coast boss Searle booked a conference room at the Sheraton on the Park for January 18 and emailed the 16 clubs last Wednesday evening, inviting them to attend an information meeting.

We have obtained a copy of the email which outlines Searle's frustration over stalling tactics at last week's Australian Rugby League board meeting in Brisbane. It reads in part: "There is a feeling amongst the Restructure Committee delegates that the ARL have had ample time to test the corporate governance capabilities of the proposed model and certainly have had the time to seek legal opinion and review the proposal well before now.

"Further to yesterday's (ARL) meeting, there has been no feedback to the Restructure Committee outlining any of the ARL issues with the model and it was felt it is important for the clubs that we ensure that the ARL do NOT take an expedient pathway to a resolution, which may be to the future detriment of the game or the ongoing independence of the current model.

"The forum will be conducted by the Restructure Committee presenting to the 16 NRL clubs and their key stakeholders, and it is planned to be held at the Sheraton on the Park on Monday, January 18, commencing at 10am, and will run for at least two hours. Naturally the Committee cannot overstate the importance of having a full complement of club representatives at the meeting, which may be one of the most significant in the game's recent history.

"Given the ethical conflict that the NRL senior management have in this process, given their employment by the NRL, this event will be chaired by members of the NRL Restructure Committee. "Your club is encouraged to invite and ensure you have in attendance the following representatives: CEO, club chairman/president, head coach and team captain."

 

JOHN RIBOT

The man who orchestrated Super League has come under fire from the clubs for hypocrisy. Ribot sits on the board of the Queensland Rugby League and is seen as the man stalling progress north of the border. In a story published in The Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday, Ribot blamed the problems in setting up the commission on what he said was the clandestine way the negotiations had proceeded.

"The biggest disappointment is the way all this dialogue has taken place without the involvement of all the stakeholders," Ribot said. "We should all take a deep breath and settle down and stop the game descending into chaos. Everyone is punching at shadows and the level of suspicion is undermining the game.

The history of the lead-up to the three-year war between Super League and ARL shows if we don't have dialogue we won't have a game. Everyone needs to talk to stop further pain in our game."

Rabbitohs boss Richardson labelled Ribot's stance as "one of the greatest backflips of all time".

"I don't quite understand how John Ribot espoused visions of independent commissions and created the Super League split, and now all of a sudden he's on the opposite side of the line," Richardson said. "All 16 clubs now agree that we should have an independent commission and we have John Ribot saying 'hang on, we should slow this down'. I don't quite get where he's coming from."

 

ARL STALLING

Carr says his board is trying to protect the grass-roots level of the game. "We support a commission, but we need to have more talks with News Ltd to ensure the grass roots of our game won't be affected," Carr said.

Richardson eased the fear for grass-roots league. "To put out statements that we want to tamper with and pull apart development or State of Origin is just rubbish," Richardson said. "What we want to do is enhance it so that the players and our development get more funds out of what we want to do. It's interesting that despite the rest of the game struggling through a difficult financial time, the QRL have $7 million sitting in reserve funds."