ARLC constitutional reform voted down

The ARLC will revisit plans for constitutional reform within the next 12 months after the motion was defeated at a meeting of NRL chiefs on Monday.

Chairman Peter Beattie stressed that progressive discussions were held with "a lot of good will in the room" despite a 15-3 vote failing to get the proposal – that would have seen the number of independent commissioners reduced from eight to six and four club and state representatives added – across the line.

As a result NSW Racing CEO Peter V'landys and ex Nine Network executive Amanda Laing have formally accepted positions as independent commissioners, while the NSWRL and QRL will now have representatives on the ARLC's financial audit committee.

Beattie vowed to "get on with the job" ahead in 2018.

"Obviously there were some disagreements about the advancement of constitutional reform. It was a 15-3 vote but the feeling in the room was a positive one," Beattie said.

"You can disagree without it being an ugly fight, and it wasn't. It was actually done with goodwill."

While the state bodies had pushed to each have a figure on a restructured commission, the failure to resolve the stand-off has seen QRL chairman Bruce Hatcher and NSWRL chief financial officer David Nissen instead added to the commission's finance committee as full members.

"The reason for that is simple, we want to work closely with NSWRL and QRL. We've got a transparency coming," Beattie said.

"As we've signalled to you before, (NRL CEO) Todd Greenberg and I will be releasing the quarterly statements, the financial statements, releasing decisions of the board.

"There is an openness and transparency coming... So everybody will know the true finances of the NRL."

Beattie welcomed the additions of V'landys and Laing to the commission, particularly the latter as a deliverance on his promise to add a female representative to the ARLC.

"Amanda's had a long experience in the corporate world, in media, that's the sort of experience we need," he said.

"… She brings incredible skills and would be there regardless of her gender but it's an asset to the game that she is a woman."