Todd Greenberg’s fate as NRL chief executive may be sealed

NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg has less than a fortnight to save his job.

Todd Greenberg could be fighting a losing battle tor remain at the helm of the NRL. Picture: Lachie Millard

NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg has less than a fortnight to save his job. There may be nothing he can do amid fresh speculation he is fighting a losing battle to remain at the helm of the game. As revealed in The Australian on Monday, the ARL Commission is set to decide Greenberg’s fate on March 19.

The opening round of the premiership this weekend may be his last in the top job, although he has a six-month notice period in his contract. That said, it seems unlikely that Greenberg would stay in charge should the commission decide it wants to head in another direction.

It is understood the subcommittee set up to deliver a recommendation on Greenberg’s future — made up of ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys and commissioners Gary Weiss and Wayne Pearce — met on Monday night to discuss the situation.

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They are expected to forward a recommendation to their fellow commissioners before a final decision is handed down, potentially as early as next week.

The situation is becoming increasingly tenuous for Greenberg and his chances of holding onto his job appear to be lengthening by the day.

The position of the clubs would no doubt have been at the forefront of the subcommittee’s minds given they are members of the commission and have the power to appoint and remove commissioners.

The sense is that Greenberg is under immense pressure despite having a two-year option in his contract.

Queensland Rugby League chair Bruce Hatcher has already spoken out in support of Greenberg and The Australian has learned officials from Parramatta have also spoken to V’landys to let him know that they back Greenberg.

Remarkably, only four years ago the Eels were slaughtered by the NRL under the guidance of Greenberg for significant breaches of the salary cap.

However, that was the catalyst for sweeping changes at the club that have ushered in a new period of unity, ending the boardroom friction that blighted the club for years.

The new regime is fully supportive of Greenberg, a huge fillip for the chief executive given the size and stature of the Eels in the NRL.

The club has gone years without winning a premiership but still wields plenty of clout.

Contenders to replace Greenberg have already been mentioned, among them the game’s chief commercial officer Andrew Abdo, South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly, NSW Rugby League chief executive David Trodden and Accor chief operating officer Simon McGrath.

V’landys has also been floated, although he ruled out any interest in taking the job in an exclusive interview with The Australian last week.

Greenberg has been under increasing pressure in recent weeks as talks over his contract have dragged on and clubs have placed the spotlight on his work and that of the commission.

He has been at the helm of the game for four years, a period in which the game has enjoyed an upswing in financial fortunes to the point that it has more than $100 million in cash assets.

At the same time, some clubs have become increasingly dismayed with their cut of the fortune and are pushing for a greater share than the 43 per cent of revenue they already receive.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the clubs are losing faith in the current NRL officialdom and the lack of information they are receiving out of head office.

Indications are that Greenberg is losing his fight to retain his job and the $1.2 million base salary he receives — he earned more than $1.4 million two seasons ago after bonuses were factored in — as chief executive of the NRL.

When Dave Smith left the NRL, then-chairman John Grant stepped into the role while the game conducted a search for his replacement, eventually settling on Greenberg.

It seems unlikely V’landys would attempt to combine his position as chief executive of Racing NSW with the same job at the NRL, even if it was on an interim basis.

It seems more likely that Abdo would take over on an interim basis, where he and V’landys could work closely together on the big-ticket items confronting the game this year, chief among them the broadcasting deal.

The pair recently flew to the west coast of the US where they visited the headquarters of streaming giants Facebook, Amazon Prime and Google.