NRL clubs want chairman sacked

Sydney: All 16 NRL clubs have reportedly issued a no-confidence vote in ARL commission chairman John Grant and called for him to be sacked.

The chairmen of all clubs have sent a letter to NRL headquarters asking for Grant’s head, according to News Corp Australia. They have called for an emergency meeting for a vote on his future amid growing frustration over a failure to come to an agreement on club funding.

Earlier NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg defended Grant and hosed down talk of a move by clubs to oust him. Tension has risen between the clubs and Grant over the failure to secure their funding agreement, with four club chairmen walking out of a meeting with him Greenberg at Rugby League Central on Wednesday. The walkout came after the NRL pulled the club funding agreement from the table, arguing that until the collective bargaining agreement and salary cap were agreed upon, it was pointless negotiating that deal.

While it would require 75 per cent of clubs and the QRL and NSWRL to affect change to the commission board, it’s been suggested Grant’s departure could act as a circuit breaker for the growing rift. But Greenberg had no doubt Grant should remain in charge. “John’s a good man who works hard and always puts the game first,” Greenberg said on Thursday.

“And he’s continued to do that as the chairman. I have absolute faith in that.”

Club bosses are frustrated that they couldn’t reach an agreement nearly 12 months after signing a memorandum of understanding over funding and they’re concerned they won’t receive as much of the new $1.8 billion television deal as they thought.- AAP