Todd Greenberg forced out of NRL Chief Executive role

NRL Chief Executive Todd Greenberg has stepped down from his role, reportedly by "mutual consent".

The former Chief Executive of the Canterbury-Bankston Bulldogs prior to joining the NRL in 2013, Greenberg had been subject to increasing scrutiny in the wake of the NRL's season being halted in March, despite having delivered consecutive $30 million surpluses in the league's operations.

With speculation that his relationship with Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V'landys had become increasingly tense, Greenberg was reportedly left out of talks between the NRL and its broadcast partner last week.

In a statement, the NRL advised that his resignation was immediate and mutually agreed.

The statement also quoted Greenberg's comments that "it has been my great honour and privilege to be the CEO of the NRL for the last four years.

"Despite the variety of challenges and pressures, I have loved every single minute of the journey.

"Our growth over the last four years has been extraordinary and I am very proud of my contribution to the game."

V'landys also stated that the role was "one of the most challenging and difficult roles in Australian sport, with a diversity of passionate stakeholders", adding "ARLC thanks Todd for his contribution to the game over the last seven years and as chief executive for the last four years."

Greenberg (pictured) added he was "indebted to the game" for the number of opportunities it had given him, thanking stakeholders and noting that he remained "in awe of the players' skill and bravery to play this game week in and week out".

Speculation about Greenberg's future with the NRL had been mounting before the Coronavirus outbreak.

It was reported he did not enjoy a smooth working relationship with V'landys, although this was denied publicly by both.

Greenberg was criticised about the size of his salary during the pay negotiations with the Rugby League Players' Association earlier this month, before agreeing to take the same cut as was handed to the players while the game was shut down because of Coronavirus.

He was reportedly left out of last week's talks between the NRL and its TV broadcast partners, the Nine Network and Fox Sports, with V'landys representing the league.

The NRL’s Chief Commercial Officer, Andrew Abdo, will step in as interim Chief Executive until a permanent successor is appointed.

Greenberg joined the NRL in 2013 as its Head of Football, before succeeding Dave Smith as Chief Executive three years later.