Rugby Australia to target top NRL talent

[Jonty]

Sounds like this R360 is a glorified Rugby 7's. If Vlandys thinks this is nothing, he's wrong...

and we all know what happened to rugby 7’s circuit.

Playing in the toughest contest means nothing anymore, this generation of people want maximum dollar for little or less activity/output (perfect example people would rather be an influencer then have a proper career or do an apprenticeship).... Its across the board in all professions of work/careers.

some do while the majority don’t.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Is R360 a threat to Australian Rugby as well or just the NRL ? Haven’t read one media report about them chasing a Union player yet …

 

[Gobsmacked]

What if Cleary is injured and misses the rep windows ?

The money for ' marquee players' would come mostly from 3rd parties, teams have billion owners, the NRL is one of the only leagues in the world that doesnt dip into its billionare owners pockets.

There's no reason it can't be a bit of both. I'm not against a marquee allowance . The only real issue is there's plenty of clubs that has upwards of 3 players that fall into that category and it's always changing.
A rep payment rise rewards our stars as they go into form.

Cleary get injured for the season and we're paying him 2 million to play playstaion while a star rises up in his place, representing our country and getting paid peanuts...

Like I said there's many nuances to this equation and probably requires a few different incentives ect.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Why can’t Vlandys just find us some rich Saudis to invest in the NRL/W? One with a hotel chain, airplanes and penchant for Aust, NZ and South Pacific holidays.

 

[Jonty]

Is R360 a threat to Australian Rugby as well or just the NRL ? Haven’t read one media report about them chasing a Union player yet …

R360 is a bigger threat to world rugby than the NRL.

NRL could easily absorb any short-term hit from such a competition but union would be devastated.

 

[Gobsmacked]

R360 is a bigger threat to world rugby than the NRL.

NRL could easily absorb any short-term hit from such a competition but union would be devastated.

I agree. We have great stars in our game but if the go, we'll just have new stars.
And you can't fill a Union roster with League players, maybe 2 or 3.. ten teams, that's 20 to 30 league players. 1 or 2 players from each NRL club.
You're going to need 200 Union players ( presumably the best?)
I don't think Union even has that many good players lol
Super Rugby..gone.
French 14.. gone.
English comp.. gone.

R360 will destroy the 3 main established Rugby union comps in the world..these aren't even strong comps.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Rugby news 2025 | Australian government investment into PNG NRL bid; Samoa, Fiji, Tonga rugby concerns; Brett Robinson interview | EXCLUSIVE https://amp.nine.com.au/article/5bea1e81-65a9-4f28-b447-bf2a812fd652

For far too long World Rugby has taken the Pacific for granted and the All Blacks as there personal backyard. The one thing that World Rugby doesn't understand fans from the Pacific want a week by week competition in where by they can support a club with players that they can connect with.

This is where Super Rugby has failed to do so (hence why they created Moana Pacifika) but the NRL has successfully achieved.

But because of this many Pacific people consider the NRL the NFL/Premier League of rugby (either rugby code), because of proximity/time zone, players with orgins that they can naturally connect with, marketing/branding and constant saturation on the TV and online media.

Rugby (i personally believe) doesn't have the strangle hold it once did in the Pacific. It's starting to be a lot like here, you can follow more then one sport. Watch and play rugby league and support Tonga, Fiji or Somoa at the RWC.

 

[Gobsmacked]

For far too long World Rugby has taken the Pacific for granted and the All Blacks as there personal backyard. The one thing that World Rugby doesn't understand fans from the Pacific want a week by week competition in where by they can support a club with players that they can connect with.

This is where Super Rugby has failed to do so (hence why they created Moana Pacifika) but the NRL has successfully achieved.

But because of this many Pacific people consider the NRL the NFL/Premier League of rugby (either rugby code), because of proximity/time zone, players with orgins that they can naturally connect with, marketing/branding and constant saturation on the TV and online media.

Rugby (i personally believe) doesn't have the strangle hold it once did in the Pacific. It's starting to be a lot like here, you can follow more then one sport. Watch and play rugby league and support Tonga, Fiji or Somoa at the RWC.

It's another case of Union mistaking patriotism for a love of their sport.

This comment says a lot: "Rugby is the game of the Pacific, lets just make that really clear."

Imagine being that entitled.
I can't stand Union people.

 

[Gobsmacked]

RA needs ‘clear path’ to win the battle of codes https://share.google/quwHK4ppgWoK1u3eT

 

[Jonty]

I agree. We have great stars in our game but if the go, we'll just have new stars.
And you can't fill a Union roster with League players, maybe 2 or 3.. ten teams, that's 20 to 30 league players. 1 or 2 players from each NRL club.
You're going to need 200 Union players ( presumably the best?)
I don't think Union even has that many good players lol
Super Rugby..gone.
French 14.. gone.
English comp.. gone.

R360 will destroy the 3 main established Rugby union comps in the world..these aren't even strong comps.

And the beauty of it is that if the R360 does go ahead which is debatable that it will ever see the light of day but if it did the likelihood of it lasting more than a couple of years is high and the damage it would cause world rugby union would be massive and in some cases fatal i.e. Super rugby.

im sure theres a few applicable sun tzu quotes for this very scenario like “the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting “ or “the greatest victory is that which requires no battle“

 

[Chimp]

Simple way to resolve this (I’ve floated this idea before around the threat of union), make it a contractual rule of all NRL contracts, players who leave the NRL to play Union (or you could say any other sport) cannot return to the NRL for a minimum 3 years.

Players would be less likely to entertain the thought if they know that if it all goes tits up, they can’t easily come back to the NRL.

 

[Jonty]

Simple way to resolve this (I’ve floated this idea before around the threat of union), make it a contractual rule of all NRL contracts, players who leave the NRL to play Union (or you could say any other sport) cannot return to the NRL for a minimum 3 years.

Players would be less likely to entertain the thought if they know that if it all goes tits up, they can’t easily come back to the NRL.

Let’s not go all Vichy.

 

[BODISGOD]

Why would anyone listen to that twat ?

They will continue to have the tours here because their fans want an excuse to come here instead of Argentina , and plus they get the chance to beat Australia at something without much effort ..

Eh? People would love to go to Argentina. The issue with Argentina is the same way the football World Cup is not going back there despite them being absolutely crazy for football.

 

[mccarthyj367]

Is R360 a threat to Australian Rugby as well or just the NRL ? Haven’t read one media report about them chasing a Union player yet …

Great point. This is the most important point brought up on the thread. R360 needs 35-40 players per team. They need tubby props, tall flankers and lock forwards, fly halves and stand offs.

A large number of Super Rugby players in Australia and NZ are on NRL minimum wage or just above. Why is there not a single report about R360 hoovering up all these easy pickings on low wages playing Super Rugby?

My guess is the NRL world is just a media hyperbole. Journos are desperate for click bait headlines and player managers of the likes of Paps, RTS et al are leaking meetings to try and bump their NRL contracts up.

No news here in the UK that any significant Prem Rugby or French Top 14 players have signed. No news in SA that players have signed. No news in Super Rugby that players have signed. Yet everyone in NRL circles is shitting bricks that this comp will fill its roster with some of the highest paid rugby players of either code who have never played the game :/

 

[BODISGOD]

Gave up after the first sentence Banner is the line you are going down now From leading the sports news to fecking banner. On top the All-Ireland Hurling and All-Ireland has smoked the coverage in Ireland to 2 previous weeks, FACT! You're full of sh!t West Brit, look forward to continuing to embarrass you

Nope. The GAA is under pressure and the move of All Ireland finals to mid summer was a terrible decision by the authorities. Both Championships have been getting lost in competing with the business end of the English football and also rugby seasons and then running into major football tournaments and rugby tours. It was traditionally this month of August into mid September that the GAA owned but their re orientated season has changed all that. Relative to 20 years ago there just isn’t the stars there once was. The attendances are strong for Munster hurling but overall the GAA is down on 20 years ago with confusing formats that people hate. The All Ireland finals rate but that’s about it, the GAA have been concerned about ratings for a while now.

TV ratings a matter of concern for the GAA

Croke Park will be disappointed with just three matches in the top 20 sports broadcasts

www.irishtimes.com

I would say there is only one real GAA superstar now in David Clifford. 20 years ago there were half a dozen. The GAA only stays “top” of favourite sports surveys because they club both Gaelic football and hurling into the same thing.

The growth of League of Ireland football is also a concern for them as it is attracting in far younger patrons.

 

[BODISGOD]

Let’s not go all Vichy.

Did you miss that the RFL did the same thing in the 1970s to players who left to go to Australia?

 

[BODISGOD]

I agree. We have great stars in our game but if the go, we'll just have new stars.
And you can't fill a Union roster with League players, maybe 2 or 3.. ten teams, that's 20 to 30 league players. 1 or 2 players from each NRL club.
You're going to need 200 Union players ( presumably the best?)
I don't think Union even has that many good players lol
Super Rugby..gone.
French 14.. gone.
English comp.. gone.

R360 will destroy the 3 main established Rugby union comps in the world..these aren't even strong comps.

What is it with some fans? The Top 14 is clearly a very strong league.

 

[Chimp]

Let’s not go all Vichy.

Why not? What’s the risk in doing so?

NRL is in a position of strength - they should use that position to fend off any perceived threat.

 

[Peach & Apricot]

Eh? People would love to go to Argentina. The issue with Argentina is the same way the football World Cup is not going back there despite them being absolutely crazy for football.

Argentina is booming again now that Javier Milei is President, we should try to promote rugby league there

 

[Chimp]

Buzz Rothfield raised a good point on Triple M today.
The R360 lot have got in the ear of the NRL player managers, offering a 10% sign-on fee for each player they get to sign up with R360, outside of the players salary (whereas they’d usually get 6% of the players salary), so the NRL agents stand to earn substantially more money by moving their players to R360.
With that in mind, I double down on my stance that any player signing with any other sport is exiles for 3 years, and I’d do the same with the e agents. Any agent that signs a player to RU, gonski from being an accredited rugby league agent.
Make them all appreciate which side of their bread is buttered.