Peter V’landys has three goals: Sydney’s struggling NRL clubs, suburban grounds and bush footy

Rugby league’s new independent commission chairman Peter V’landys has three major goals — to save Sydney’s struggling NRL clubs, improve suburban grounds and revitalise bush footy, writes Buzz Rothfield.

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Rugby league’s new independent commission chairman Peter V’landys has three major goals — to save Sydney’s struggling NRL clubs, improve suburban grounds and revitalise bush footy.

While the Racing NSW supremo can appreciate the need to play grand finals, Origin and Anzac Day blockbusters at Bankwest, ANZ and Allianz-style stadiums, he is determined to promote the weekend family experience at Sydney’s traditional venues.

He will lobby the government to support funding for upgrades to Leichhardt Oval, Brookvale, Shark Park, Campbelltown and Belmore.

Racing NSW supremo Peter V’landys is determined to promote the weekend family experience at Sydney’s traditional venues in his new role with the NRL.

V’landys told me recently: “Having families in Sydney attend suburban grounds is imperative to the future popularity of the game. That’s what tribalism is about. Suburban grounds have an important role to play and should be upgraded for today’s entertainment venue standards.”

His other passion is country NSW. Under V’landys’ leadership there has been a huge focus on bush racing, in which he has invested tens of millions of dollars.

Country races that were worth $5000 when he started now carry $22,000 in prizemoney.

There is a $70,000 race in Sydney every Saturday just for bush participants.

V’landys might be from racing but he has long been involved in rugby league.

He played as a junior in Wollongong and made it to first grade alongside the great Steve “Blocker” Roach.

He will be different in many ways to his predecessors, Queenslanders Peter Beattie and John Grant.

V’landys made it to first grade along with Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach (pictured).

Steve Roach celebrating NSW’s victory in the 2019 State of Origin.

Beattie is addicted to social media and loves being on TV and in the newspapers.

Grant loved the limelight, too. No trophy in rugby league was ever handed out without him. He famously photo-bombed Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston after an Origin presentation in Brisbane to get his melon on the front page of every major newspaper.

While V’landys is a strong advocate and never shirks the hard issues, he is likely to play a more discreet, behind-the-scenes role. You never see him handing out trophies at Royal Randwick, even when Winx was around.

Instead, he wheels and deals with politicians and corporates from the big end of town in the director’s suite.

It will be no different in rugby league.

Originally published as Peter V’landys has three goals: Sydney’s struggling NRL clubs, suburban grounds and bush footy