TO: NZRL Staff, Districts and Affiliates and Board FROM: Peter Cordtz DATE: 18 December 2009 RE: Media Summary Tuesday 1 December to Friday 18 December Re-signed Hayne eyes code change in four years After finally committing his future to rugby league for the next four years, Parramatta superstar Jarryd Hayne has warned that the NRL has to do more to keep the game's best talent from rival codes… Promising trio get to display wares at Storm: Three promising youngsters have taken the first step towards fulfilling their league dreams, gaining scholarships to train with the NRL champions Melbourne Storm… NRL teams seek loophole to quit competition: Frustration at the Australian Rugby League's rejection of an offer to nominate two candidates for election to an independent commission has been revealed as a key reason behind the summoning of players and officials from the NRL's 16 clubs to a historic meeting next month, considered by some as a declaration of war… Wiki, Seuseu welcomed back to Warriors family: Jerry Seuseu and Ruben Wiki are back with the New Zealand Warriors, with the rugby league club's former greats taking up positions in a restructured football department… Warriors old boys ready to make another point: The Pt Chevalier Pirates are set to become arguably the strongest third division rugby league side in the world with up to five former internationals expected to line up for them next year… It’s ‘full steam ahead’ for Busy Bellamy: It seems the word rest is not in Craig Bellamy's vocabulary. Since winning his second NRL title with the Melbourne Storm in October, the supercoach claims he's had a holiday in Europe, but admits he was kind of working then too. "We had a look at a few football clubs to pick up some ideas," Bellamy said, before teeing it up at a charity golf event in Wellington yesterday… Kemp appointed NZRL’s football manager: Former Kiwi and current high performance director Tony Kemp has today been appointed the New Zealand Rugby League's new football manager… Lowe will take on Manly despite health scare: Newly appointed Manly chief executive Graham Lowe says he is determined to take up his position at the National Rugby League club despite a health scare at Auckland Airport… City dips out on big league games: New Plymouth will not host any international rugby league matches next year when the Four Nations competition is played in New Zealand… Radical State of Origin shift to NZ suggested: State of Origin rugby league could be played in New Zealand if Australia wins the right to host the 2018 football World Cup… Auckland blackout threatens to deny fans: Auckland could miss out entirely on genuine international rugby league next year despite the Four Nations being hosted down under, NZRL chief executive Jim Doyle has admitted… Kiwi Sa happy to be in France: New Zealand rugby league star Setaimata Sa declared himself to be delighted at entering a new stage of his sporting life as he arrived at Super League side Catalan Dragons today… News, ARL to pick commissioners on way out: The last act of News Ltd and the ARL before handing over control of the game to the clubs will be to choose the eight members of the new independent commission, which will be headed by ARL chairman Colin Love… Take your time deciding future, Broncos tell Lockyer: Champion Brisbane five-eighth Darren Lockyer will have as much time as he needs to decide whether he wants to continue his representative career or call it quits. Promising trio get to display wares at Storm (Sam Worthington, Dominion Post 16 Dec) Three promising youngsters have taken the first step towards fulfilling their league dreams, gaining scholarships to train with the NRL champions Melbourne Storm. The trio will travel to Melbourne in April for a week's training after being picked out by Storm coach Craig Bellamy and scout Darren Bell during a camp in Wainuiomata at the weekend. Upper Hutt pair Pride Petterson-Robati (Wellington under-14) and Frederick Lika Pule (Wellington under-16) and New Plymouth's Isaac Robinson (Taranaki under-16) all have one foot in the door at a club widely regarded as the NRL's most professional. Wellington Rugby League general manager Jason Hemson said the relationship with the Storm was going from strength to strength. "It was very good," Hemson said. "We had nearly 105 kids and about 30-odd coaches. The Melbourne guys are very keen to keep things moving and come back again, so it's a good opportunity for us to formalise something a little bit stronger over the next year or so with them." Hemson said the Storm were targeting young New Zealand talent because their under-18 and under-20 squads were strong but Melbourne lacked younger, home-grown talent. "Being down in Melbourne, it's a little bit more difficult for them to get the numbers in those younger age groups." Hemson said Bellamy's coaching forum, in which he fielded questions from local mentors, was invaluable. "For us, it's more about our coaches than the kids. Because once our coaches can see the type of things that those guys are looking at, then they can start training for it. "If we can get kids at 10, 11, 12 and start coaching them the things those NRL clubs are looking for, then what it means is we can keep them here a little bit longer because we know they're getting trained well. "And when it comes time for the NRL clubs to be looking at them, they can see where the kids are at in terms of their development along the NRL lines." NRL teams seek loophole to quit competition (Brad Walter, Sydney Morning Herald 14 Dec) Frustration at the Australian Rugby League's rejection of an offer to nominate two candidates for election to an independent commission has been revealed as a key reason behind the summoning of players and officials from the NRL's 16 clubs to a historic meeting next month, considered by some as a declaration of war. With tensions running high over the refusal of ARL directors to accept a deal tabled at last week's board meeting in Brisbane, a source close to the negotiations confirmed the Sydney Morning Herald's report on Saturday that forming a breakaway competition had been considered if an independent commission did not come to fruition. But, said the source, a breakaway competition would be pursued only as a last resort because getting out of the NRL licensing agreements would be a long-winded and difficult process. The SMH has been told that lawyers have been looking to find a loophole in the agreements. But waiting until the licensing agreements expire in 2012, the same year the NRL's television deals also finish, is considered a less risky proposition. The January 18 meeting of the chief executives, chairmen, coaches and captains of all 16 clubs - the first time such a gathering will have happened without the presence or organisation of the NRL - is officially an information meeting, as few of the 64 representatives in attendance are aware of the details being negotiated on their behalf. Even members of the NRL's restructure subcommittee, charged with the formation of an independent commission, were caught unaware by talk of a possible breakaway competition. A number of other options to try to overcome the impasse are likely to be canvassed at the meeting. There was even talk last week that the clubs might withdraw their players from State of Origin to fire a shot across the ARL's bows. The meeting is intended as a show of unity by the four most influential people at each club to put pressure on the ARL and News Ltd to hand over control of the game. Should they fail to do so, it would highlight the fact the clubs have no say under the current set-up, in which the ARL and News Ltd, the two protagonists of the Super League war, appoint three representatives each to the NRL partnership committee, which is responsible for overseeing the running of the game. Even if the clubs vote 16-0 on an issue at a chief executives meeting, the NRL partnership committee is not obliged to act on their wishes. The ARL views the meeting - called by Titans chief executive Michael Searle, who described it as ''one of the most significant in the game's recent history'' - as provocative, and officials have told the SMH they would not be bullied into agreeing to the terms negotiated by the clubs and News Ltd. Primarily, the ARL objects to the fact the eight independent commissioners will be elected by the 16 clubs and the leagues want to either be able to appoint directors or be given significant voting power. In an attempt to appease the ARL, an offer was made before last Tuesday's board meeting in Brisbane to enable the NSWRL and QRL to nominate one candidate each for election. Other candidates need the support of three clubs to gain nomination and all commissioners must win 75 per cent of the vote to be elected. To be eligible, a candidate cannot be the director of any club or league. The initial commission, to be chaired by ARL chairman Colin Love, would be chosen by News Ltd and the ARL, who must agree on each of the eight appointments, and would remain in place for three years. After that, two seats would be up for election each year, meaning it would be six years before an entirely new commission would be in place.