Two ARL commissioners step down: report

Prominent businessmen Graeme Samuel and Jeremy Sutcliffe have reportedly resigned as Australian Rugby League commissioners.

Fairfax Media said on Wednesday that former ACCC head Samuel would not stand for re-election in February at the ARLC’s annual general meeting while CSR boss Sutcliffe had already tendered his resignation.

It’s believed the pair are disappointed at the ARLC’s direction in the past 18 months, in particular chairman John Grant’s recent backing down to NRL clubs over funding.

The report also said the NRL confirmed both departures from the eight-person commission.

It was reported as well that the NSWRL and QRL met on Monday when they reached an agreement on a demand for a representative for each state body on the commission.

This comes as the NRL is looking to have two representatives on a proposed nine-member commission.

Grant was facing the axe last December but saved his job after striking a funding peace deal with disgruntled NRL clubs.

He was able to negotiate a resolution on the funding impasse with the 16 club chairwomen and chairmen after seven hours of talks at Rugby League Central.

The clubs called the emergency general meeting after Grant last month pulled from the table a club funding deal which, 12 months earlier, had been agreed in principle.

The commission on Tuesday agreed to a deal which went close to matching the original offer of funding clubs at 130 per cent of the salary cap.

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