Two leading AFL club chief executives have knocked back approaches from the NRL to join a shortlist of candidates for the job vacated by former rugby league boss Dave Smith.
Highly-regarded Geelong Cats boss Brian Cook and
Richmond Tigers CEO Brendon Gale received separate approaches before Christmas from recruitment agency Crown & Marks, which is acting on behalf of the NRL.
Both Cook and Gale, widely considered the top two CEOs at AFL club level, had a number of conversations with the recruitment agency, but declined the NRL's invitation to a formal interview for the job.
Fairfax Media understands the Australian boss of an international hotel chain is one of the 10 external applicants in the interview process, with another six candidates from within the NRL also in the frame for the job.
The money on offer for the vacant NRL CEO position is not as much as Smith's contract, which was believed to be worth in excess of $1.5 million. The new CEO stands to earn $1 million a year, a similar figure to what the top AFL club bosses earn.
It is significantly lower than the $3.3 million contract AFL chief executive Gillon Mclachlan is reportedly on and lower than the $2.2 million former AFL boss Andrew Demetriou was earning.
While Australian Rugby League Commission chairman John Grant insists the new chief executive must have a love and knowledge for rugby league, the NRL has expanded its search across the country in a bid to find the right person to lead the game.
Scottish-born Cook, who almost took the North Melbourne job in 2012, is widely considered the No.1 club chief executive in the AFL, starting his career as the boss of the West Coast Eagles in 1990.
Cook transformed the club into a powerhouse, quadrupling membership and helping the Eagles become the first non-Victorian club to win the AFL premiership in 1992.
Gale played 244 games for Richmond between 1990 and 2001, moving on to the CEO role at the AFL Players Association before taking the job as the Tigers boss.
It is understood Gale perceives his job at the Tigers to be half done, while Cook was reluctant to uproot his family to Sydney.
http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/two-afl-club-bosses-knock-back-nrl-approach-to-apply-for-chief-executives-position-20160121-gmb3ul.html
