WE’LL BE BACK NRL OUTLINES PLANS FOR RETURN

V’landys wants united front at today’s meeting

PETER V’landys says he is “hellbent” on getting the NRL premiership back up and running by July 1 ahead of one of the most important days of meetings with players and clubs in the history of rugby league in Australia.

And while the first choice would be to continue playing games out of regular home grounds, V’landys has not ruled out putting the entire premiership in lockdown at a regional location such as Gladstone.

This comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison anon nounced yesterday that the rate of increase in coronavirus cases has fallen in Australia over the past week.

V’landys has also stated there is no reason why all 16 NRL clubs can’t survive the current crisis.

But the Australian Rugby League Commission chairman also warned “we will fail” if personal agendas rule at today’s historic meetings.

“If we are going to survive this, everyone has to be united,” V’landys told News Corp.

“If we are at each other’s throats and being opportunistic we will fail.

“We are succeeding right at the moment. But the hardest part of my job is to keep everyone united,” he added.

After further discussions with the Rugby League Players Association yesterday, an ARL Commission meeting is scheduled for 8am today (AEST).

At that meeting the commission will be asked to approve a significantly increased $20 million pay offer put to the players, as well as giving a written guarantee the players will get their agreed 29.5 per cent minimum share of any revenue.

It is also expected clubs will be offered a $1.1 million monthly payment as part of the worstcase scenario planning.

The commission will be asked to approve a massive cost-slashing exercise at NRL headquarters.

Astonishingly, the NRL spends $181 million annually organising the regular season, finals series and State of Origin. This does not include payments to players or clubs.

This caused no shortage of frustration among players at a marathon phone hook-up yesterday.

V’landys did not want to get bogged down in a blame game about past spending habits but conceded current costs must come down “dramatically” because “it is not sustainable”.

After the Commission meeting today V’landys will then take his plan to all 16 clubs another conference hook up.

Asked if he believes all clubs will survive, V’landys said: “I believe so. We are doing our utmost to keep them viable. I want everyone to remain viable.

“I am still hellbent to do whatever I have to do to get the game started again on July 1.”

He said Gladstone remained on the table if the competition couldn’t be played out of regular home grounds.

“We will look at every possible scenario to get the game going ... I am going to push really hard on that one,” he said.