Gallop a contender for return to rugby league
Former NRL chief executive David Gallop has emerged as a genuine contender to join the ARL Commission after one prominent NSW club confirmed they planned to nominate him.
Former NRL chief executive David Gallop has emerged as a genuine contender to join the ARL Commission after one prominent NSW club confirmed they planned to nominate the 55-year-old to fill the lone vacancy on the board.
Chair Peter V’landys delayed filling the eighth and final spot on the commission while the clubs and states completed reforms that would give them more power over the appointment and removal of commissioners.
That long and protracted fight reached a painstaking conclusion last week and V’landys confirmed to The Australian that he expects to appoint a new commissioner in coming weeks.
As part of that process, the clubs will be asked to nominate potential candidates and Gallop’s name is expected to be in the mix.
One prominent official on Monday confirmed his club had given Gallop assurances they would put his name forward, leaving V’landys and the nominations committee with a decision to make as they decide whether to welcome him back into the fold.
Gallop spent a decade at the helm of the NRL as chief executive, presiding over an era where the game’s revenues and reputation grew, before the commission chose to go in another direction.
He retains a strong interest in the game and still has support among some of the sport’s heaviest hitters, hence the likelihood that his name will be among those discussed by the commission as they look to fill out their ranks.
The decision the commission must ultimately make is whether Gallop fills a skill set that they currently lack. There is a view in some quarters that the commission currently requires someone with marketing expertise, particularly given the current environment where sports are locked in a fight for numbers, while at the same time scratching and clawing to make ends meet.
The commission will also need to reconcile whether they believe bringing Gallop on board would signify a backward step given his long and storied history with the code.
While some may view that as a weakness, others would no doubt consider it a strength given his knowledge of the clubs and the way they operate, not to mention his intimate understanding of Rugby League Central.
His tenure as chief executive forced him to negotiate some thorny issues, most notably the Melbourne Storm salary cap scandal. The scars of that episode remain and it seems hard to believe Melbourne officials would endorse his ascent.
Yet others have fonder memories of Gallop’s time in charge and believe he is the right man to join the commission.
After leaving the NRL, he spent seven years in charge of Football Federation Australia and more recently has been on the board of Tabcorp.
He is also set to take a place on the board of Cricket NSW as a replacement for former NSW Premier Mike Baird, who will move onto the board of Cricket Australia this month.
Former Queensland Tourism and Major Events Minister Kate Jones was the last person to join the commission, having been appointed late last year.
There is a view that the next appointment should come from NSW and Gallop fits the bill, although he spent much of his youth in Canberra before morning to Sydney to study law.
While Gallop is in the mix to join the commission almost immediately, South Sydney chair Nick Pappas remains the long-term target for many within the game.
Under the new rules, the Rabbitohs boss would need to spend 12 months out of clubland before he could join the commission.
The likelihood is that Pappas will be asked to consider standing down as chair of Souths over the next 12 months before moving onto the commission 12 months after that.
There is a belief that he is the natural successor to V’landys should the current chair decide to exit the game some time in the future.
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