THE NRL’s push for constitutional reform of the independent commission is set to be voted down by three dissenting clubs next week.
The NSWRL on Wednesday night said it had been informed the changes to the Australian Rugby League Commission constitution were set to be defeated when the clubs meet at Rugby League Central on Monday.
The vote was postponed last month after Canterbury, Gold Coast and Melbourne signalled they would vote against the reforms because they believed it would hand the NSWRL and QRL too much power.
New ARLC chairman Peter Beattie confirmed on social media the vote was set to be defeated.
“Constitutional reform was never going to be easy,” Beattie tweeted on Wednesday night.
“I am still committed to it. If it doesn’t get up now I will revisit it in a year’s time.
“I am determined to make the existing constitution work. I will make announcements on Monday about the future composition of the commission.”
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The reforms were set to hand the clubs and state bodies spots on an expanded ARLC board for the first time.
However, concerns about a power imbalance have led the Bulldogs, Titans and Storm to torpedo the reforms.
In a strongly worded statement, the NSWRL said it was disappointed to learn the reforms would be voted down and would not make further concessions after the draft constitution had already been agreed upon.
“Against the background of the members of the Australian Rugby League Commission having reached unanimous agreement regarding the draft constitution, and the overwhelming majority of those members continuing to support the terms of the draft constitution, the Board of the New South Wales Rugby League is strongly of the view that it will not agree to make further concessions to the already agreed position and it will not allow the good of the game to be determined by narrow sectional interests,” the NSWRL said.
