Andrew Abdo's shock departure to Tennis Australia has left the rugby league community scratching their heads wondering who will be the next CEO.

With his departure set for July 15, that gives Peter V'landys and the NRL approximately six weeks to find a suitable replacement, which will be an extremely difficult task.

It has been confirmed, though, that V'landys himself will act as the interim CEO if a replacement cannot be found in that time.

"We're going to need Superman and Jesus together," V'landys put it bluntly.

While that may be slightly out of reach, the NRL is going to need a candidate who has extensive knowledge about broadcast deals, club relations and the political intricacies of leading a soon-to-be 19 and most likely 20-club competition.

When considering these conditions, it leaves the following eight candidates who could realistically replace Andrew Abdo.

7. Blake Solly

One of very few current club CEOs who would actually be considered, Blake Solly could be the man for the job if the NRL wants to go in a different direction.

Solly currently is, and has been for the last 10 years, the CEO of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, beginning his career as a solicitor before taking up managerial roles with the Super League and RFL.

While at face value many might dismiss the idea of him succeeding Andrew Abdo, his background suggests he may actually be one of the most qualified.

As mentioned, he held high-end managerial positions with the Super League and RFL, but why is this important?

The NRL is currently in negotiations to acquire a 30-35 per cent share of the Super League and wants to take over the administration to exponentially improve the competition.

Who better to lead those negotiations than someone who has previously worked in the Super League?

With his years of experience at club level, Solly also is well-versed in the political intricacies of dealing with other NRL clubs and his connections throughout the league would be extensive.

However, his connections may work against him in terms of potential bias, but his resume is definitely up there with the most qualified.