Sky Sports’ Brian Carney believes the introduction of an independent commission has now been ‘broadly accepted’ by Super League stakeholders.
It comes as the NRL reportedly prepare to make a £250 million offer to invest in the Northern Hemisphere competition after more than a year of buy in and takeover rumours and claims.
Speaking last month while in Las Vegas, ARLC chairman Peter V’Landys laid his cards out on the table regarding his desire and ability to help Super League. However, V’Landys had stipulations, with the introduction of an independent commission, similar to the one seen down under, being one of them.
That would see a chunk of the power taken out of the hands of club owners, who understandably have their own interests at heart, and into the hands of a commission, who would effectively run Super League.
RFL chairman Nigel Wood met with NRL officials while in Las Vegas for the rugby league takeover and it seems the ball is rolling, despite an official offer not being lodged just yet.
However, speaking ahead of Wakefield Trinity’s clash with Leigh Leopards, Sky presenter Carney outlined his belief that a deal is closer to being struck than ever before.
“Ultimately it has to be led by the governing body but here’s what I understand this week and I spoke to people this week, predominantly in Australia,” Carney said on the live broadcast. “It has to naturally happen in stages.
“Peter V’Landys, when I spoke to him in Las Vegas, he was adamant that there had to be an independent commission, a similar model to the one they run in Australia.
“I believe that has now been broadly accepted over here, that an independent commission is the way to go forward. The make up of that and who has the majority of that is an all important detail yet to be decided.
“When that happens, and I’m hearing overwhelmingly positive noises about this, when that happens it will unlock a stake offer, a percentage offer, and a financial offer.
“You know I’m not a sceptic, I’m a cautious optimist but I have never been more optimistic that they are moving closer in the right direction.”
Giving his opinion on the deal and the developments of the last few days, pundit Jon Wilkin said: “Any deal is all about the detail and the clauses in that deal and as it stands there’s not deal on the table. What we’re seeing is a very public negotiation going on.
“Peter V’Landys using terms like trainwreck and setting the NRL’s position out as a position of weakness in this country and we’re setting a value at £250m. That’s a public jockeying and the art of negotiation that we’re witnessing. There’s no deal and crucially we need a deal.”
He added: “It’s all about the detail and that could be the most crucial thing to get a deal done. I think the number is almost a red herring. The detail of the structure, how it works, how we collaborate with the NRL and what expertise we’re using and where the money goes.
“You could throw money at a problem but ultimately it’s how you utilise those funds that’s going to be important in this country in particular.”
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