McCallum in move to clarify his job status

The Rugby League's director of rugby, Greg McCallum, will be back at his desk tomorrow, hoping to end speculation about his future.

McCallum, arguably the most influential figure at the RFL over the last two years, has been rumoured to be a likely casualty of the Implementation Group that is restructuring the organisation.

There have been suggestions that he has been offered a demotion to controller of referees – the position he filled previously – but the Australian has taken the unusual step of issuing a statement through a solicitor denying that story.

"He has been offered a senior management position which he is presently considering with his family in Australia," said the statement, which also denied that McCallum had put himself forward as a potential new chief executive – a role which has been vacant since the resignation of Neil Tunnicliffe in 2000.

McCallum, due to return from his holidays tomorrow, does acknowledge that others have put his name forward for the chief executive's job. That function could be absorbed, however, by that of executive chairman, for which the RFL has placed adverts in national newspapers. The job description says that the successful applicant will manage the RFL's operations as well as chairing the League's board of directors.

The Implementation Group was called into the League's headquarters at Red Hall near Leeds when the extent of the organisation's debts – running at around £1.7m – became known.

Two of the League's executive directors – McCallum is the third – have already left and more redundancies are expected next week.

Warrington have offered to help their amateur neighbours, Woolston, prepare for their Challenge Cup tie against Hunslet of the Northern Ford Premiership. The tie is to be staged at Wilderspool on 27 January.