The NRL is now without a chief executive and second in command after Suzanne Young quit her post as chief operating officer on Friday due to family reasons.
Young's sudden departure means NRL headquarters are now in turmoil after losing three senior officials since the end of last season, including head of game strategy development Shane Richardson.
The governing body is still in the process of hiring a new chief executive after Dave Smith resigned last October.
Young leaves barely one year after joining the NRL as a replacement for Jim Doyle, to take up a part-time job in the financial sector in order to care for her ill father.
"It has been a great experience to be part of an organisation like the NRL and I want to thank the clubs, States, player groups and everyone else I have worked with over the last 15 months," she said in a statement.
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ARL chairman John Grant is currently in New Zealand for the Auckland Nines and updating club bosses on the progress of hiring a new chief executive.
A reported 10 external candidates, including chair of Cricket NSW John Warn and NIB Health Funds chief Mark Fitzgibbon, have scored interviews, however NRL head of football Todd Greenberg is considered the favourite for the role.
Grant paid tribute to Young, praising her work for the Commission and enhancing the profile of women in the game.
"Suzanne has worked with the Commission to develop frameworks around risk management and governance and has played a particularly important role in lifting the profile of women in rugby league," he said.
Young winds up next month.
