NSW Rugby League rejects peace deal as battle with ARL Commission hits Supreme Court
An attempt by Panthers chief executive Brian Fletcher to try to avoid an ugly Supreme Court battle between the NSWRL and ARL Commission was waved away. Find out why.
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Penrith chief executive Brian Fletcher attempted to extend an olive branch to the NSW Rugby League only days before their ugly spat with the ARL Commission ended up in the NSW Supreme Court.
News Corp understands that Fletcher reached out to acting NSWRL chair John Anderson on behalf of the NSW clubs but was told the matter had gone too far.
It is understood Fletcher acted with the full knowledge of his fellow clubs and the commission — the clubs and commission are united in their stance on the controversial NSWRL board elections.
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The matter has been sent to a hearing next week after a brief appearance in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday.
The costs are expected to soar north of six figures as money that could have been spent on grassroots and country rugby league is wasted on lawyers.
Asked about the offer of a potential peace deal prior to the court hearing, the NSWRL said they could not comment on the matter while it remained before the courts.
However, News Corp spoke to Fletcher and he confirmed that he had reached out to Anderson before Wednesday’s hearing after a meeting of the clubs late last week resolved that they should make one final attempt to prevent the matter heading to the courts.
With the NSWRL determined to leave a decision in the hands of lawyers, the ARL Commission held a special meeting on Tuesday where they were unanimous in their stance.
The spat erupted last month when Cronulla chief executive Dino Mezzatesta was told he could not run for the NSW board because he had a conflict of interest.
When Mezzatesta was ruled out of contention, Sydney Roosters supremo Nick Politis and respected official doctor George Peponis walked away from the NSWRL.
V’landys slams court move
Rugby league is officially returning to the Supreme Court as the stoush between the ARL Commission and the NSW Rugby League is placed in the hands of high-priced lawyers, diverting money from the game that could be better spent on juniors and ailing country clubs.
The NSWRL on Friday instructed their legal representatives to begin action in the NSW Supreme Court, with the matter set down for an initial hearing on Wednesday.
The dispute began in the boardroom when Cronulla chief executive Dino Mezzatesta was told he was ineligible to run for the board because, as a paid employee of the club, he had a conflict of interest.
It will be resolved in the courtroom as the NSWRL looks to defend their position and recoup their funding from the commission.
The only people getting rich out of the whole schmozzle will be the lawyers, prompting ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys to lambast the NSW Rugby League’s stance.
“What a gross waste of money,” V’landys said.
“They are using junior rugby league money given to them by the commission against us not to run an election that is required under their own constitution.
“It is incomprehensible that you would use money that was given by the commission to promote participation of junior rugby league and country rugby league — where they are battling — to fight a situation that doesn’t ask for anything more than a fresh election because the previous election was infected as they did not have the power to exclude a candidate.
“We have one of the leading legal minds telling us the election was invalid. The only thing they have to do to remedy this is run a fresh election.
“What is the problem? Democracy resolves this.”
The matter exploded after the NSWRL took legal advice that deemed Mezzatesta was unable to run for the boardroom, a decision that prompted Sydney Roosters supremo Nick Politis and respected official doctor George Peponis to walk away, and led V’landys to intervene on behalf of the Sydney clubs.
V’landys and the ARL Commission hired esteemed lawyer Bret Walker SC, who had previously acted for Cardinal George Pell and came at a cost of $25,000 a day, to investigate the elections and he provided legal advice that suggested they should be run again.
The ARLC warned that they would withhold funding to the NSWRL until the elections were re-run. That, in turn, led the Blues board to threaten legal action unless they were paid in full by last Friday.
That deadline came and went with no money exchanging hands, leaving the NSWRL to instigate court action to enforce their funding agreement.
The imbroglio has pitted some of the rugby league’s most influential figures against each other.
The ARL Commission has also warned that they could take over the running of the NSW State of Origin side from the NSWRL and begun investigating the feasibility of running a national reserve
The NSWRL released a statement late on Friday insisting they were left with little choice but to act after the commission failed to meet a deadline to reinstate their funding.
“Accordingly, it has become necessary for the board of directors of NSWRL to decide to take the only remaining action open to NSWRL to resolve this dispute,” the statement said.
“As we have indicated in previous statements, it is a matter of the greatest regret for our organisation that NSWRL has been forced by ARLC into the position, where the only option open to NSWRL is to commence proceedings against ARLC.”
The sense of regret was the only thing the sides shared in common.
“They are going to be in for a shock because all the NRL clubs are united on this,” V’landys said. “They believe the remedy is to run fresh elections and it concerns them that they (the NSWRL) don’t want to.
“They (the clubs) want to know why. They are trying to divert it by trying to play me rather than the issue. I am only acting on behalf of the clubs.
“The ARLC have nothing to gain from this. Nothing. The last thing I want to do is spend legal dollars that should be going to the clubs on this ridiculous action.”
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