Having successfully juggled dual roles as boss of the NRL and Racing NSW since 2019, footy supremo Peter V’Landys is tipped to walk away from the Sport of Kings.
It is understood V’Landys, 63, sees his future in rugby league, notably negotiating the upcoming multi-billion dollar TV deal and NRL expansion, which includes a team based in Papua New Guinea come 2028.
Talks are also ongoing about a NRL franchise being based in Perth, with a second team in New Zealand also a possibility.
V’Landys has been the CEO of Racing NSW since 2004 and was appointed chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission six years ago.
Staying at the helm of both organisations isn’t feasible given the significant workload – and the NRL are expected to be the big winners.
According to veteran News Corp sports editor Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield, V’Landys will soon make his decision – with his future NRL salary as an executive chairman to be over $1million.
Having successfully juggled dual roles as boss of the NRL and Racing NSW since 2019, Peter V’Landys is tipped to walk away from the Sport of Kings (pictured with his wife, Philippa)
Peter V’Landys was appointed chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission in 2019
V’Landys was responsible for the NRL’s bold foray into Las Vegas across five years (pictured, Panthers star Daine Laurie scoring a try against the Sharks this year)
‘At his age with a young family, I think the jobs have become too stressful for him to manage,’ Rothfield stated on the Off The Record podcast with fellow sports journalist Andrew Webster.
‘It has become a real snake pit, I’m not sure that he will stay in racing.
‘The problem is, in racing, he is on more than $1million as CEO. In rugby league, as chairman of the independent commission, I understand he’s on $150,000 to $200,000.
‘So the constitution would need to be changed if rugby league was to put Peter V’landys on full-time in a position that would allow Andrew Abdo to stay on as chief executive.
‘Peter would then become an [NRL] executive chairman on a salary of $1 million-plus.’
Co-host Webster added V’Landys has ‘nothing left to prove in racing’ before stating the savvy administrator’s ‘Bulldozer’ approach does at times work against him.
Leading trainers Gai Waterhouse and Chris Waller are said to at loggerheads with V’Landys.
Besides those two prominent identities, other influential racing figures may look to lure V’Landys away from the NRL given he has revolutionised their sport, particularly with younger audiences.
V’Landys is the man behind the Everest – the richest race on turf in the world – as well as The Golden Eagle, which carries the second biggest purse in Australia.
