November 15, 1996: Tom Bellew quits

The man who drove reform following the NSWRL's incorporation announces he will not stand for re-election.

Tom Bellew’s legacy in Australian rugby league is vastly undersold.

For decades he was the guardian of the sport’s rules and he also introduced the nine-person board system that the ARL Commission follows to this day.

On this day 25 years ago, it was announced Bellew would not seek re-election to the NSWRL board.

Publicly, he said he wanted to hand over t…