Powerful South Sydney owner Russell Crowe has urged the NRL to consider Shane Richardson as the game’s next chief executive.
Richardson has not appeared on the initial list of likely candidates to replace Todd Greenberg, after leaving the Rabbitohs last month.
However he has previous experience working for the NRL, having filled the role as head of strategy and game development in 2015.
Richardson has also spent more than 20 years in the game as an administrator, after stints at Cronulla and Penrith before his lengthy time as Souths supremo.
He was also the CEO who broke the premiership drought at Crowe’s Rabbitohs, at the helm of the club for the 2014 title.
“There’s no better candidate available for the job. Simple fact,” Crowe told the Daily Telegraph.
“None of the other candidates can match his time in the sport.
“His bloodlines go right through the game – NSW and Queensland.”
The Hollywood star also pushed the NRL to have a rugby league person in the top job, with Richardson one of the longest serving administrators in clubs.
Richardson is the only high-profile club person to have left the game during the coronavirus hiatus so far, claiming he was walking away to save money at the Rabbitohs.
However there is some argument his appointment could split the game.
Former NSW State of Origin half Braith Anasta was particularly critical of Richardson’s Souths exit, and whether he’d taken a pay out.
And he claimed on Tuesday night that that there were many in the game not supportive of the Rabbitohs supremo.
“We all know what I thought of Shane’s exit from Souths,” Anasta told Fox League Live.
“At the time he didn’t answer that question – if he had a job lined up at the NRL … which meant he was going for it.
“Shane has a lot of enemies in the game, and I know that just from the feedback I received after I spoke about his exit at Souths.
“I just can’t see it working.”
Stand-in chief executive Andrew Abdo remains the front runner to keep the job, while Souths CEO Blake Solly has already said he is not interested.