The NSW Rugby League has expressed disappointment upon learning that NRL clubs Melbourne Storm, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Gold Coast Titans will again vote against planned constitutional reforms.
The clubs, whose concern is the reforms would grant the NSWRL and Queensland Rugby League a seat on a new 10-person ARL Commission, are understood to have maintained the stance which led to a cancellation of a previously-planned vote to change the constitution.
In a statement released on Wednesday night, the NSWRL said it was time for the dissenting clubs to act in the best interests of the game as a whole.
"NSW Rugby League acted in the interests of the game when it expanded an inner-city competition into a metropolitan competition, then into a state-wide competition, then into a national and ultimately an international competition,'' the statement said.
''It acted in the interests of the game when, together with the Queensland Rugby League, it supported the creation of the Australian Rugby League Commission.
''It acted in the interests of the game when it supported increased funding for NRL clubs, both individually and collectively, with the significantly increased club grants which were recently provided to NRL clubs.
''The Board of NSWRL now calls on the three NRL clubs to discard sectional interests and also act in the best interests of the game by adhering to the agreement which all of them freely reached in December 2017.''
ARLC chairman Peter Beattie conceded the vote would be defeated via Twitter on Wednesday night. The former Queensland Premier reaffirmed his commitment to changing the constitution.
