SEN’s Jimmy Smith has named the two most qualified candidates he would like to see take over Andrew Abdo as NRL CEO.

Abdo announced his decision to resign as CEO on Monday and confirmed that he will take up a role with Tennis Australia. Abdo will remain in the role until July 15 when the code’s broadcast deal has been finalised.

Australian Rugby League (ARL) Chair Peter V’landys will be appointed as interim CEO until a new CEO is appointed. V’landys has not ruled himself out of the position but Smith believes there are two more suitable candidates to succeed Abdo.

“Here are the options for Peter V’landys,” Smith said on SEN 1170.

“He can retain his chairmanship and get a new CEO in.

“If he was to give up his Racing NSW job…he could become executive chair.

“To do that, he has to change the constitution and get the support of the clubs.

“Or, he could just become CEO, step down from the board and someone else becomes the chair.

“Can he do both jobs? Racing and the NRL at the same time? It feels unsustainable.

“I’ve got two names.

“Aaron Warburton, who is the CEO of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He is not really involved in the rugby league aspect of the Bulldogs.

“He is incredibly savvy when it comes to the commercial side of the Bulldogs.

“Warburton went to Las Vegas, made a profit and took 50 members of staff with him.

“You need someone with a commercial mindset and that is Warburton to a tee.

“The other option would be a guy named Misha Zelinsky who is the executive general manager of corporate affairs at the NRL.

“Two years ago, he was a journalist talking about the threat of China in the South Pacific.

“He wrote about the role rugby league could play in stopping China.

“He would be an internal hire that is non-club aligned and as a career administrator, he looks at the role (and) be PVL’s right hand man.

“After that, he can work wherever he would like.

“Those are the two strongest options I can see.”

Other names to be floated for the role include former Queensland Rugby League CEO Ben Ikin, current South Sydney CEO Blake Solly and former Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson.

“Ben Ikin, no,” Smith added.

“Shane Richardson, no. It would be the most explosive work environment you would ever see with him and Peter V’landys.

“Get your popcorn and stand outside of NRL central.

“There’s no doubt he has the skillset to do it but it would just blow up.

“Blake Solly is a no. His skillset is club land and transitioning from club land to the NRL, there would be a perceived South Sydney bias.

"He's already running his show. If he joins the NRL, he isn’t running the show. He’s running PVL’s show.”