Australian Rugby League's new Independent Commission will finally be launched on Friday.
The long-awaited new governing body for the code will assume control just weeks out from the start of the NRL season, with negotiations for a new broadcast rights deal the first item on its agenda.
But while Friday may herald the formal handover, the new board has already been hard at work for several months as it sets about bringing together the game under the one umbrella.
The NRL's chief David Gallop will remain the administrative face of the game, while the NSW and Queensland rugby leagues, along with the country associations, will retain their foothold.
