Standing alongside Jillaroos captain Ruan Sims at the launch of a federal government-supported, cross-sport initiative to prevent violence against women and children, Greenberg said the league would not be rushed. Sims agreed it was profoundly more important to "do it properly" than to do it first and the national skipper suggested the NRL, in taking its time with a female club competition, might even produce a stronger product for women than the AFL.

"I think it's only a matter of time," Sims said. "What I like about it is that we're going to do it properly. We're not just going to say 'the AFL have done it, we're going to do it'. We've got to make sure we do it properly so it's sustainable and it can actually stand on its own two feet and it's a fantastic product.

"It's the same with the Jillaroos. We could have thrown ourselves out there a few years ago, straight after we won the World Cup in 2013, but we took that extra 12 months and now we've got such a fantastic product at the end of it. We'll do exactly the same with club footy and I think we'll have an even better product."

Significantly different to the AFL, given there are already established national derivative options for female rugby league players, Greenberg said the NRL had been working on a domestic women's competition structure over the past year.

"We haven't made a commitment [on launch time] but are modelling, and we've been modelling for the best part of 12 months on what that structure would look like," he said. "But … it needs to be sustainable, and the pathway needs to be well understood.

"I'm hoping it will certainly happen within the five-year period. I think it's a natural progression for us to make, but clearly it needs to be sustainable and well thought through."

Asked what has made the most profound difference for the NRL in repairing the poor image it had around women following matters such as the 2004 Canterbury Bulldogs sexual assault claims scandal, Greenberg said there were many examples, but he highlighted: "the appointment of key females in senior positions from the Commission to club chief executives to chairs".

"And we have genuinely demonstrated our commitment to the Jillaroos," he continued. "They play on free-to-air television and hundreds of thousands of young girls around Australia can aspire to play in a Jillaroos jersey one day. Those things are profound for us. They weren't happening in previous years, they're happening now and they're going to continue to happen."

Raelene Castle became CEO of the Bulldogs – the position Greenberg formerly held – in 2013.

"Those are big moments in time for us and I expect to see more of them," Greenberg said on Friday.

Sims, whose brothers Ashton, Tariq and Korbin have enjoyed lengthy careers in the NRL, said the Kangaroos-Jillaroos Test double-header at Newcastle's Hunter Stadium in May was a tangible sign of great progress.

"I think the NRL is only just now getting recognised for the good work that they've actually been doing behind the scenes," she said. "I feel like we're really leading the way in that respect."