NRL attempt to save Grant from axe

The NRL has put forward its revised offer to disgruntled clubs in an effort to avert a civil war within the code and save the head of ARL commission chairman John Grant.

The two parties are at odds over an in-principle funding agreement which was last month pulled from the table with the clubs deciding whether to press ahead with plans to oust Grant.

The clubs are set to meet on Monday night after the NRL put forward a counter offer which it will hopes will settle the dispute.

“We have sent our proposal to the clubs,” an NRL spokesman said.

However the clubs could decide to go ahead with Tuesday’s emergency general meeting of the ARL commission stakeholders at which Grant’s future is expected to become clearer.

NRL clubs and the NRL are at war over how to divvy up the $1.8 billion television deal after Grant rescinded an offer to fund clubs at 130 per cent of the salary cap from 2018.

The ARL commission met last week and on Monday communicated their revised offer.

The NRL has agreed to a proposal which goes close to the 130 per cent funding agreement with officials vowing to consider giving the clubs two seats on the ARL commission.

Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates is conducting a review into ARLC constitutional change.

The NRL is not willing to commit to any change to the makeup of the ARLC until the conclusion of Coates’ review.

Grant is believed to have the support of his seven fellow commissioners, the QRL and the two NRL-owned clubs, Gold Coast and Newcastle.

However the clubs and NSWRL have the 14 of 26 stakeholder votes required to oust Grant and enforce change.

It was reported that both Brisbane and North Queensland had reaffirmed their commitment to getting rid of Grant amid rumours they were set to backtrack on their decision.

The clubs were angered last month when Grant pulled from the table their club funding offer, prompting four club bosses to storm out of the meeting.

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