The Parramatta elections once again made the the in-fighting of the Federal Labor Party over recent years look as tame as a campaign for year-six class president, so deeply entrenched are the factional rivalries in Eels territory. Yet while the quest for power of the blue-and-golds is never far away from turning ugly and public, the 15 other NRL clubs don't often have the same attention on who controls them and those bidding to join and replace them. A closer look reveals a wildly contrasting picture of how the game's powerbrokers find themselves pulling the strings and how the fan on the street can or can't have their say on their team or potentially have a seat at the table.
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Broncos
The league's only publicly-listed club has five board members: the chairman Dennis Watt, club great Darren Lockyer, as well as Tony Joseph, Katie Bickford and Jeff Harvie. Like the competition's other privately owned teams there are no elections for directors, who are appointed not voted in.
How can you vote or run for the board? You can't.
When is the next club election? N/A
Bulldogs
Canterbury has two boards, both of which have seven members, and they are joined at the hip essentially as four of the football club directors must sit on the board of the very successful Canterbury League Club. Those four at present are club chairman Ray Dib, Arthur Coorey, Steve Mortimer and Peter McMahon, with Anthony Elias, Andrew Farrar and Anta Isaac the others. About 1000 of the Dogs' more than 15,000 members specifically pay for voting rights. It's a model that Dib believes is the best and most democratic but as a result it also leaves them open to challenges from rival tickets as was the case last year .
How can you vote or run for the board? Be a financial member of the football club for three consecutive years.
When was the last club election? Both the football club and leagues club polls were held last year, so the next elections will be in 2016.
Cowboys
Like the case with members of the other two Queensland teams, there are no voting rights. Directors are appointed to oversee North Queensland NRL side, which is owned by Cowboys Leagues Club. The current board is Laurence Lancini (chair), Kerry Boustead, Joe Carey, Cam Charlton and Steven Titmus.
How can you vote or run for the board? You can't.
When is the next club election? N/A
Dragons
A tricky one and an obstacle course for wannabe club directors due to the complexity of the merged entity's administration. The joint venture board that runs the NRL team is made up of reps from St George - Warren Lockwood (chair), Brian Johnston, Peter Doust and Peter Black - and the Steelers Club - Graeme Gullock, Bob Millward, Sean O'Connor and Andrew Gordon from WIN Corp. The only way to become a director is to first win a seat on either the St George Leagues Club board or via the Steelers and then manoeuvre your way from there to be one of its appointees to the Dragons board. The Dragons governance model, however, is under review.
How can you vote or run for the board? On the St George side you've got to be financial member for three years of the leagues club, which holds elections every year for directors' whose three-year terms are up. You've also got to be a paying member of Steelers to vote or run at their AGM.
When is the next club election? Both AGMs will be early next year.
Eels
Where do we start? The league's most dysfunctional top office has just held another acrimonious election, with candidates scratched from eligibility in the lead-up and factional warfare again flaring up and memberships torn up over a membership tampering scandal. Things are a little more simple, however, since the Roy Spagnolo-chaired Parramatta District Rugby League stopped being funded by the rich leagues club and went into liquidation over the summer. The Leagues Club owns the NRL club licence, and so its board doubles as the PNRL club board, with elections held every two years. There were only four directors left standing before last weekend's election for one reason or another but the new board is, for once, unified, and trying for major constitutional reform. It is: Steve Sharp (chair), Tom Issa, Geoff Gerard, Paul Garrard, Tanya Gadiel, Peter Serrao and Andrew Cordwell.
How can you vote or run for the board? Be a financial member of the leagues club for three straight years, get yourself on a ticket and get ready for the gloves to come off.
When is the next club election? 2017.
Knights
There's no elections in the Hunter. Newcastle's post-Tinkler board comprises four independent directors including chairman Brian McGuigan, two shareholder reps from the NRL and community rep John Quayle, nominated by the Knights Members Club.
How can you vote or run for the board? You can't.
When is the next club election? N/A
Panthers
Penrith's is another set-up you need a Phd to get your head around. Elections are held every two years for the football club board, whose seven members are automatically appointed to the Penrith Panthers Leagues Club board along with two appointees from other clubs Panthers own around the state. That will change from March next year, when the football club board will be reduced to five. They will also serve as the leagues club directors and will have the power to appoint two others based on what expertise they're in need of at the time, whether it's a financial guru or a leading mind from another industry. Don Feltis (chair), Brian Fletcher (dep), John Hiatt, Dave O'Neill, Denis Merrick and Greg Alexander make up the current Panthers board.
How can you vote or run for the board? Be a paid-up member of the football club for three years.
When is the next club election? Next year.
Raiders
Unlike the other leaders in the capital Canberra's board members are not voted in but invited to serve by the club's owner, the Canberra District Rugby League. The current board is Allan Hawke (chair), Dennis Richardson, Simon Hawkins, Yvonne Gillett, Paul Whalan, Paul Powderly, John Mackay and Terry Weber.
How can you vote or run for the board? You can't.
When is the next club election? N/A
Rabbitohs
The only way onto Souths' board is via the South Sydney Members Rugby League Football Club, or Member Co, which supplies two directors (presently Nick Pappas and Nikolas Hatzistergos) to the seven-member entity that runs the premiers. The rest of the board is made up of four reps for Russell Crowe and James Packer (they are Mark Arbib, Steve Bennett, Keith Rodger and Martin Crowe) and one from Souths Juniors, their CEO Luke Curry. The Member Co board was re-elected unopposed last year.
How can you vote or run for the board? You can't run for the Souths board itself but you can vote and technically nominate for the five-man Member Co board every year if you've been a member for three consecutive years and are over 18. Souths are the only club that gives voting rights to its regular ticketed members.
When is the next club election? For Member Co: next year, if there were any challengers.
Roosters
Nick Politis' grip on the club he made so powerful is not quite bulletproof, but it's pretty close to it. The same board represents the football club and leagues club in the eastern suburbs. Two of the seven directors represent the 30,000-odd leagues club member base and, technically, a member could call an EGM to vote against and put forward new directors although that has rarely happened. Here's where it gets interesting, though. On the football club side of the fence the block of five board members including Politis are effectively fortified from any challenge because you have to be invited to be a member of the football club - by the board. According to one estimate there are only about 100 living football club members and very few turn up to the AGM. Politis' colleagues on the board are Mark Bouris, Mark McInnes, Mark Fennesey, Luke Ricketson, Brien Samphier and Peter Newton.
How can you vote or run for the board? Unless you're one of the select few invited to be a fully-fledged football club member, then you can't. Leagues club members could vote for their two board reps in the event of a poll.
When is the next club election? If recent history is any indicator, not anytime soon, but the AGM is held in February.
Sea Eagles
The Penn family's buyout of Manly last year, bringing their stake to 90 per cent, has pushed into the corner the bitter factionalism that had rivalled and occasionally exceeded that going on at Parramatta. The Penns effectively have five reps on the seven-member board - Scott Penn (chair), Rick Penn, Heather Penn, Peter Peters and Kerry Chrysiliou - but two spots remain for appointees of the football club, the Manly-Warringah Rugby League. They're held by Bob Stevenson and Julie Sibraa. Elections are held for the football club board every two years.
How can you vote or run for the board? Once members of the football club have been financial for three years they can take up a $25 upgrade option to obtain voting rights.
When is the next club election? December
Sharks
Cronulla's football and leagues club boards used to be separate but now they're the one entity, voted on by both football and leagues club members every two years. Regular Sharks members can't automatically vote, but can pay extra to become a full financial football club member. Recently re-elected unopposed the Sharks board is Damian Keogh (chair), Dino Mezzatesta, Darren McConnell, Craig Airey, Kevin Dwyer, Dane Sorensen, Paul O'Neile, Paul McCarthy and Glenn Gorrick.
How can you vote or run for the board? Spend the extra money to be a full financial football club member for three years in a row, or be a financial Sharkies Leagues Club member for three years.
When is the next club election? 2017
Storm
Another privately owned club Melbourne's board includes chairman Bart Campbell, Gerry Ryan, Matthew Tripp, Michael Watt and Danielle Smith.
How can you vote or run for the board? You can't.
When is the next club election? N/A
Tigers
Thanks to Balmain no longer providing two board members - they won't again unless they can pay off their debts - the only route to the Tigers board would be through the Wests side of the merger and you'd need a map and some serious negotiating skills to find your way. Wests supply two directors to the Tigers board - currently they are Tony Andreacchio and Wests Ashfield CEO Simon Cook - joining appointed independents Marina Go (chair), Lucio Di Bartolomeo and Rosemary Sinclair. To be one of those two you'd have to go one of two ways: win election onto the Wests Ashfield board, which pulls the strings by providing four directors to the six-member Wests Magpies board. Or win one of two remaining spots on the Wests Magpies directly, positions which are picked by about 400 voting members. It's from that body that the two reps to the Tigers are appointed. Confused yet?
How can you vote or run for the board? You can't vote or run for the Tigers board. Wests Ashfield's board is up for election every three years, and you've got to be a general member for three years to vote or nominate.
When is the next club election? For Wests Ashfield, directors are next up for election in 2017.
Titans
It's a closed shop on the Gold Coast, whose board is Rebecca Frizelle (chair), Darryl Kelly, Paul Donovan and NRL nominee Peter Brown. Two more independents will be added soon.
How can you vote or run for the board? You can't.
When is the next club election? N/A
Warriors
There is also no voting rights for members at the privately owned New Zealand team, whose board is chairman Bill Wavish (chairman), CEO Jim Doyle, Justin Davis-Rice, Mark Flay and Bill Birnie.
How can you vote or run for the board? You can't.
When is the next club election? N/A
