1 day Ago By Max McKinney
Knights football director Peter Parr says he is "really enjoying" his role in Newcastle and has had no approach from the NRL about potentially overseeing the likely incoming Perth side. Login or signup to continue reading The experienced administrator, who has been the Knights' football department head since mid-2022 , is reportedly the main target to become general manager of the touted Western Australia team, which has firmed to become the NRL's 18th side in 2027. With an extensive resume, having spent more than 20 years at the North Queensland Cowboys in various roles including chief executive officer, Parr is an obvious potential candidate to get any new team up and running.
But it is his history with Perth's former side, the Western Reds, in the 1990s which has likely made him the lead target for the WA role. Parr worked for the long-defunct franchise from their launch in 1992 to their demise in 1997, holding several positions. He has an acute knowledge of what worked - and what didn't - the last time rugby league was in the west, and maintains relationships from those days.
He has also been a firm believer that the NRL should have a team in Perth . If there was any further evidence required that he knows what it's like to run a professional rugby league team in an AFL stronghold, Parr also worked at the Adelaide Rams. Addressing the speculation on Thursday, Parr said his focus was on the here and now, and helping Newcastle's NRL side climb out of a five-game losing streak.
"I've had no approach, so there's nothing to consider," Parr told the Newcastle Herald . "I'm really enjoying my time at the Knights. "I enjoy working with Phil [Gardner] and what we're trying to implement long term here.
"But right at the moment, all my focus is on how I support the players, [NRL coach] Adam [O'Brien] and the rest of the staff at the club. "That's my sole focus. "I don't have to consider any other options, because I don't have any.
" Parr's contract at the Knights is up at the end of the 2026 season, which is an obvious sticking point if he was to be offered a role in Perth. He has also already been linked with a promotion at the Knights, taking on a club CEO role. Gardner, who is CEO of both the Knights and the club's owner, hospitality giant Wests Group, is expected to soon retire , and potentially as soon as season's end.
Wests Group is understood to be considering splitting his dual roles with Parr in line to run the Knights, but not the licensed club operation. "All well-run organisations have succession planning in place," Gardner told NewsCorp in March. "Wests Group has a plan in place across all our executive positions.
The Newcastle Knights succession plan includes Peter Parr becoming CEO and Chris James to head of football. "All decisions and the timelines will be determined by the Wests Group board of directors." The Perth role is not the first job elsewhere Parr has been linked to.
Last September, he was reportedly in the mix to become the Dragons' CEO, a position long since filled. The touted Perth side is expected to be known as the Bears, as part of a partnership with the North Sydney Bears, who were part of rugby league's top tier for 90 years between 1908 and 1998. North Sydney still field teams in NSW Rugby League competitions, including the NSW Cup.
Max McKinney is a sports reporter with the Newcastle Herald. He previously worked in news, covering mainly local government and transport. Max mostly reports on the Newcastle Knights, but also covers a mix of local sport.
Max McKinney is a sports reporter with the Newcastle Herald. He previously worked in news, covering mainly local government and transport. Max mostly reports on the Newcastle Knights, but also covers a mix of local sport.
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