Peter V’landys re-signs as NRL boss for three years
After guiding the NRL through the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter V’landys has decided on his rugby league future, while former Queensland Minister Kate Jones signs on with the ARLC.
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Peter V’landys will remain as part of rugby league’s leadership team for at least three more years while former Queensland Minister Kate Jones will also join the Australian Rugby League Commission.
Clubs were informed of the news late on Tuesday with chairman V’landys and fellow commissioner Megan Davis reappointed to the role for another three years.
The most surprise came as Jones was announced to fill one of the vacancies left by Amanda Laing in March. The game has also not replaced Mark Coyne who stood-down in July last year.
While V’landys has been re-elected to the commission his tenure as chair expires in February. Given his recent accomplishments, the role will be V’landys if he wants it.
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Jones, who was also appointed for three years, was an instrumental rugby league supporter during her time in government which she stood-down from prior to last month’s election.
She is the only ARL Commissioner to be based in Queensland.
“I’m really excited,” Jones said. “I love rugby league, I was brought up on the game, it’s the heart and soul of what Queensland is.
“I am committed to the grassroots. We are under attack from other codes but rugby league is the heart and soul of Queensland and I want to grow the game in this state.”
New Broncos coach Kevin Walters said Jones would bring a dynamic edge to the ARL Commission.
“I am a huge fan of Kate, she has done wonderful things for sport in Queensland,” he said.
“I love her passion for Queensland and it’s great to have a Queensland-based person on the Commission.
“Now that she is in rugby league, it’s a coup for the game. She was a great supporter of the Magic Round and was instrumental in bringing the event to Suncorp Stadium.
“It’s a magnificent appointment for the NRL, for the Commission and for Queensland.”
Jones campaigned for the inaugural magic round competition to be played in Brisbane last year during her time as Education Minister, Minister for Tourism, Major Events and Small Business.
Jones was also the Minister the Commonwealth Games where she worked closely with former Queensland premier and fellow ARLC chairman Peter Beattie who was the Commonwealth Games chairman.
Beattie praised Jones’ appointment.
“She did a brilliant job with the Commonwealth Games and will do a brilliant job with rugby league,” Beattie said on Tuesday night.
“She is a great team player. I enjoyed working with her during the Commonwealth Games which were run on time and on budget.
“It was an unanimous decision of the commission.
“I learnt she was clearly passionate about rugby league having worked closely with her for two years. She has the energy and drive.
“Queensland loves her and she will be great for the Commission.”
Jones was elected to state parliament in 2006. She lost her seat in 2012 but regained it three years later.
V’landys has not committed to how long he plans to stay on top of rugby league’s food chain as he balances his role with Racing NSW.
“I don’t know myself to be truthful,” V’landys said in a recent interview. “My main priority is my family. When it impact my family life or the time I spend with my family then I’ll look at it but at the moment it isn’t.
“Could there be a possible worse year than this year?”
V’LANDYS REVEALS BOLD PLAN FOR 2021 NRL SEASON
—David Riccio
He got the footy back in 2020 — now Peter V’landys is about to launch a new mission.
The ARLC Chairman has declared he wants to burst the bubble on every player, admitting the NRL was working on a plan to get back to “normal next season”.
V’landys has also confirmed that the future of State of Origin matches being played in November was highly unlikely and that the annual interstate series would return to its normal mid-season schedule.
“More likely than not that this (State of Origin series) will be the one and only time (in November) because the ratings weren’t very good last week,” V’landys said.
“I know there’s been a few excuses and we’ll see if those excuses are credible come Wednesday night when it’s a live rubber.
“And I think one of the reasons why the ratings were down was that no one gave Queensland a chance, but anyone that follows rugby league, you always give Queensland a chance and they proved that again.
“Next year is a different story and if we’re able to have crowds, mid-season is probably the right place but let’s just see what happens tomorrow night.
“If the ratings are substantial then we can make an informed decision.’’
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Within the game, clubs and players are working towards another season of bubble restrictions and isolation periods.
But never one to shy away from a challenge, V’Landys stated his confidence that after an interrupted 2020 season, the competition would return to its “normal” full season in 2021.
“We’re going to go back to normal next season,” V’landys told Andrew Voss on SEN radio on Tuesday morning.
“We’ve experienced COVID, we know how to handle COVID, and I don’t think the protocols will be as strict (in 2021).
“As you said earlier, there’s now a possibility of a vaccine, and that changes the whole thing completely.
“If the vaccine doesn’t come through and we have to live through COVID, it all depends on the community infections, and we always base our decisions on the data.
“In Australia, we’re very lucky that community infections are zero, and while they’re zero, we can live our lives pretty normally.
“However, if there is an outbreak of community transmission, we’ll need to increase our protocols again.
“But we’ve been through the worst of COVID in Australia with the protocols, and we’ve proven we can play while COVID’s there, and with community infections.
”I think we’re pretty right for next year, with the learnings of this year. That we can run the whole season and go back to normal.
V’landys praised the competition’s players for their participation and sacrifice in 2020, and believed that next season’s bubble wouldn’t be as strict if it was to exist.
“The players are out of the bubble at the moment, they’ve sacrificed a lot this year and they’re having a well-earned holiday for the next few weeks,” V’landys added.
“I don’t think the protocols will be as strict, with community infections being lower than they were throughout this year.”
Originally published as Peter V’landys re-signs as NRL boss for three years
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