Peter V’landys contemplating career change

Peter V'landys has made a name for himself as one of the most important sports administrators in the country, however, it's been reported he is willing to give up one of his roles to focus his energy solely on the other.

V'landys has been the chief executive of NSW Racing for 21 years and has been a major contributor to its massive transformation over the last two decades.

He has also been chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission since 2019, taking the game to great heights in his six-year tenure.

While V'landys has been undeniably successful in both of his major roles, it seems the demand of juggling both just may warrant a career change, with NSW Racing likely to take the hit.

“Peter V'landys, the most dynamic official in Australian sport, I am told will make a decision this year on his administrative future,” Daily Telegraph editor Phil Rothfield revealed on Off the Record.

“I think he's now - and I've made a lot of phone calls - on the verge of deciding between racing and rugby league. At his age with a young family, I think the jobs have become too stressful for him to manage and have some sort of decent life with it."

Rothfield admitted he's "not sure that [V'landys] will stay in racing," noting that "racing has become a real snake pit."

While it seems remaining in the NRL is the more likely scenario for V'landys, Rothfield noted an obstacle that may hinder the chairman from selecting rugby league over racing.

“The problem is, in racing, he is on more than $1 million as CEO. In rugby league, as chairman of the independent commission, I understand he's on $150-200,000.

“So the constitution would need to be changed if rugby league was to put Peter V'landys on full-time in a position that would allow Andrew Abdo to stay on as chief executive. But Peter would then become an executive chairman on a salary of $1 million-plus.”

V'landys' exit from NSW Racing would send shockwaves through the industry, due to his transformative tenure that saw him revolutionise the sport.

He helped to orchestrate the rise of The Everest, the richest race on turf in the world, as well as The Golden Eagle, which carries the second biggest purse in Australia.

By all reports, V'landys is set to remain in the NRL, and with a new multi-billion-dollar TV deal on the horizon, rugby league needs its leading man to secure its future.