NSWRL Chief Executive David Trodden has been named the Administrator of the Year at the NSW Sports Awards at the NSW Champions of Sport Ceremony at The Star, Sydney, on Monday 18 November.
Trodden was recognised for his positive impact on the organisation in a number of areas during a year which saw the NSWRL achieve landmark successes including:
• executing the development and delivery of the $30 million NSWRL Centre of Excellence;
• increasing net assets to $20 million;
• increasing participation figures to more than 42,000 players;
• supporting several initiatives to promote inclusion and diversity including Try League for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities and Monarch Blues Tag (non-tackle)
The NSWRL Chief Executive faced competition for the top honour from Craig Beed (Hockey), Chris Cunningham (Triathlon), Michelle Hanley (Football), Nikki Horton (Netball) and Peter Tate (Paddle and Commonwealth Games).
"It’s been a great year both on and off the field. The Centre of Excellence was a great landmark for our organisation," Trodden said.
"But the stuff on the field as well ... winning State of Origin is always a particular thrill, and winning women’s State of Origin and our under-age teams as well.
"The whole organisation is going really well and it’s because of all the wonderful people we have working in the organisation. They’re our greatest asset.
"Working with all the people at NSWRL is a real privilege and it’s something I never take for granted.
"State of Origin is the thing that unites our state and now we have a really united rugby league organisation as well. I think we will look back on the merger with the CRL (in 2019) as the thing that created the platform to take our whole organisation to another level."
The NSWRL was nominated in five other categories including Athlete of the Year (James Tedesco), Coach of The Year (Brad Fittler), Team of the Year (Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues), Team of the Year with a Disability (NSW Wheelchair Rugby League) and Organisation of the Year (NSWRL).
True Blue Bradley Clyde was also recognised on the night after being inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions. The former Canberra Raiders premiership-winning player was widely regarded as the best lock in the game and finished his career with 21 Tests for Australia, 14 State of Origin matches for NSW, and 214 NRL matches for the Raiders and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
"It’s a huge honour and I feel deeply privileged," Clyde said.
"You start off playing rugby league and all sorts of different sports until you find something you love. I fell in love with the game of rugby league.
"I’m grateful to have played alongside and made friends with some absolute champions.
"I look around the room tonight and there are some absolute champions here. And to be in the Hall of Champions with Don Bradman and Yvonne Cawley and to call the likes of Bob McCarthy, Ron Coote and Laurie Daley my friends ... I’ve had a magic carpet ride and I’m very blessed."
It is the second consecutive year the NSWRL has been acknowledged at the NSW Sports Awards after taking out the Organisation of the Year in 2018 following a season of success which included both the men’s and women’s teams winning Origin.
