The NRL has taken another step towards the sale of the Newcastle Knights, forming a committee to make a recommendation on the transition of ownership at the club.

NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg, Knights chairman Brian McGuigan and former league boss John Quayle will hold seats on the seven-person committee, as will the game’s current head of club and state services Tony Crawford.

There still remains no timeframe for the sale of the club, however Crawford says the current financial, operational and governance structures now in place allowed them to start considering the best method for an ownership transition.

“A sale will only proceed when we have the right buyer for the club, the Newcastle community and the game,” Crawford said.

“I should stress that a sale of the club is not imminent.”

The NRL took over the ownership of the club after the downfall of Nathan Tinkler’s Hunter Sports Group in June 2014.