Brisbane Broncos CEO Paul White set to sign 12-month extension to stay with club

He was due to leave the club at the end of the season but the Brisbane Broncos board is desperate for him to extend his contract for another 12 months.

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Brisbane chief executive Paul White is set to extend his tenure at the Broncos in a move that will scupper plans for him to succeed Todd Greenberg as NRL CEO.

The Courier-Mail understands the Broncos board is keen for White to extend his term into an 11th season in 2021 as the NRL’s richest club craves administrative stability amid the coronavirus pandemic.

White formally advised Broncos shareholders last October that he would walk away from the club when his current contract expires at the end of this season.

But the COVID-19 saga has rocked the foundations of the $52 million Broncos empire, which last month issued 22 redundancies to staff in the most significant cost-cutting exercise in the club’s history.

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Brisbane Broncos CEO Paul White speaks to the media during a press conference at Red Hill. Picture: AAP Image/Darren England

White was appointed Broncos CEO in 2010 and has an intimate understanding of Brisbane’s footballing operations.

With so much uncertainty in the current environment, the Broncos board is not actively searching for a replacement CEO and believes White can stabilise the glamour club for a further 12 months.

Should the former mining executive opt to remain at the Broncos in 2021, it would rule White out of the race for Greenberg’s job at the NRL.

The Broncos boss has been strongly linked to the post, currently occupied in an interim capacity by the NRL’s commercial chief Andrew Abdo.

Broncos chairman Karl Morris lauded White’s contribution to Queensland’s flagship sporting team.

“Paul and his executive team have performed strongly in the most unusual of health and economic crises in history,” Morris said.

“They have put the Broncos in a strong position for not only the end of this season but also for the future.

“It’s not just Paul, there’s a whole team. They have all done extremely well.

“It’s a very high quality executive that Paul has built up there.”

Paul White with Broncos captain Alex Glenn and coach Anthony Seibold. Picture: Peter Wallis

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White has not committed to an extension at this stage but said in March he was open to a final 12-month stint.

“I’m not going to tap out until I am satisfied the club is back on level footing,” he said.

“The one thing is I am enormously invested in this Broncos club.

“If I believe remaining for a period of time is what this club needs and the board gives an indication they may like to see that happen, I will make a decision at that point in time.”

Meanwhile, the publicly-listed company has advised shareholders that Australian netball legend Vicki Wilson has been added to the Broncos board.