The end of an era is looming for the NRL, with chief executive officer Andrew Abdo resigning after six years in the top job.
Abdo initially stepped into the NRL's top position on an interim basis following the exit of Todd Greenberg in April 2020, before being officially appointed permanently later that year in September.
Code Sports broke the news on Monday morning, with Abdo expected to take up the CEO role at Tennis Australia following the departure of Craig Tiley.
During his tenure, Abdo became one of the key figures behind the game's aggressive expansion and commercial growth alongside ARL Commission chairman Peter V'landys.
The pair helped usher the game into a new era, overseeing the introduction of faster-paced rule changes, pushing Rugby League onto a more global stage and dramatically increasing the game's financial position, with the NRL on the verge of surpassing the $1 billion mark in annual revenue.
Expansion has also become a defining feature of his leadership. Since taking over, the Dolphins have successfully entered the competition, while the incoming Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs are set to join in the coming years, clubs Abdo now appears extremely unlikely to oversee.
Despite criticism surrounding some of the game's changes, particularly the controversial push for a quicker style of play, Abdo consistently maintained he was willing to evolve the sport in an effort to keep Rugby League progressing.
“Those results will come, and if they don't, we will change,” he said earlier this month on 'Unscripted Podcast' in regards to rule changes and trying a new approach to Rugby League.
Abdo has long described himself as a passionate fan of the game, but his impending exit now leaves one of the biggest positions in Australian sport suddenly vacant at a crucial period for the NRL's future.
The NRL are yet to confirm the resignation; however, Danny Weidler has revealed that Abdo has not denied the story of his departure. He has also stated that there is speculation around V'landys taking over as interim CEO.
Abdo's departure also comes at a pivotal time for the code, with the NRL's current broadcast agreement set to expire at the end of 2027.
i will take the job
I question whether CEO is the NRL’s “top position”.
In that organisation it seems that the Chairman of the Board – Peter V’Landys – is the head honcho, and that the CEO is merely the guy who is tasked with “making it happen” when the Chairman has another “great idea”.