He's only been back in the country for a matter of weeks, but the man masterminding the rejuvenation of the battered Eels said the Australian Rugby League Commission's independence won't be compromised with the election of representatives from NRL clubs.
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Parramatta boss Bernie Gurr has argued it's "common sense" if the seething clubs – who are angling for the removal of ARLC chairman John Grant and a tweaking of the constitution over the funding row – can have two representatives on the commission.
"When the commission first came in to have 100 per cent independence at the time made a lot of sense," Gurr said. "As sporting organisations evolve, society evolves and over time it has evolved and now is the appropriate time to have two nominees or club representatives on that commission. I think that makes a lot of sense.
"I don't see how you could argue against that and it won't compromise the independence of the commission. You'll still have [up to] six independent commissioners. Clubs are at the coalface every day. We relay the concerns of the fans. To take that perspective onto the commission, to me, is common sense."
Time is against Grant to ward off the threat of the clubs, who have the numbers to remove him just days before Christmas unless he can swing at least two of them in his favour.
And against a backdrop of ailing clubs – 15 of the 16 posted losses this year – Gurr warned Grant and the commission needed to find a financial lifeline to help the NRL franchises.
"You can't logically look at this business model around the NRL and think it's sustainable over the next 10 or 20 years," he said. "It needs to be tweaked. And it's going to have to happen in increments and the first increment was this MOU [before it was taken off the table]."
