Rebel rugby union competition R360 given green light, 10 NRL players believed to be committed to competition
In world exclusive revelations, the rebel rugby union competition R360 has been given the go-ahead, with as many as 10 NRL players believed to be committed to the league.
The NRL’s grand final week is in danger of being hijacked by R360 following revelations that the rebel rugby union competition had been given the green light to go ahead next season.
This masthead understands that R360 organisers informed player agents on Tuesday night that the competition would begin on October 2 next year after securing the funding and player numbers to begin.
Long form contracts have been sent to agents as R360 locks in players for its inaugural season.
As many as 10 NRL players are believed to have committed to the competition including Melbourne star Ryan Papenhuyzen, Parramatta winger Zac Lomax and South Sydney fullback Jye Gray.
News of R360’s plans to begin next year come on the day that the NRL celebrates one of its nights of nights – the Dally M medal.
ARL commission chair Peter V’landys has been dismissive of R360 but he and the NRL may now be forced to take a more serious look at the concept given the threat to the NRL.
R360 is armed with significant funding and is offering massive contracts to players to switch codes and play a global circuit incoming eight franchises.
None of the franchises will be located in Australia.
The Storm are already resigned to Papenhuyzen making the switch once his current contract comes to an end next year.
Lomax shapes as a more complex situation given he is under contract until the end of 2028 with the Eels.
However, it is understood the NSW star has already informed Parramatta of his desire to switch codes and take up a lucrative deal with R360.
The Eels are unlikely to let him go without a release fee. It is not known whether R360 are willing to stump up the cash to get their hands on Lomax.
However, player agents were informed late on Tuesday that R360 had secured enough funding to finance the first three years until the end of 2028.
The news won’t just be a shock to rugby league. It is expected to have deep-seated ramifications for rugby union given the vast majority of players in the competition are expected to come from the ranks of that code.
There had been scepticism around the chances of it coming to fruition but one of the founders - former England rugby union star Mike Tindall - insisted only last week via video message that it would go ahead.
Crucially, it has now been confirmed and the NRL is expected to be impacted. While R360 will focus predominantly on rugby union, player agents in the NRL have been actively shopping players to the competition for months, most notably Clinton Schifcofske.
Schifcofske looks after the likes of Papenhuyzen, Lomax and Grey. It is understood he was also involved in talks between Nelson Asofa-Solomona and R360, as well as Will Kennedy.
Asofa-Solomona is under contract but it is believed the Storm were open to allowing him to join R360. Kennedy failed to attract interest from organisers. Warriors star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has already committed to the concept as he comes off contract at the end of next season.
The worry for the NRL is that more players will now bat their eyelids at the competition given the money that is on offer.
Brisbane superstar Payne Haas has also been linked with R360 given he comes off contract at the end of next season, coinciding with the start of the R360.
This masthead reported that Haas had been involved in talks with officials from R360, although he denied there had been any discussions.
The Broncos have been locked in talks with Haas over a new deal and his price continues to soar as he leads Brisbane into the grand final.
His next deal is likely to be worth at least $1.5 million a season but even that figure could be dwarfed by the dollars on offer in R360.
It is understood players in R360 have the potential to earn upwards of $2 million a season. Gray, who only became a consistent first grader at Souths this season, is believed to have been offered a contract worth about $900,000 a season by R360.
The Rabbitohs have been desperately trying to convince him to stay beyond the end of his contract next season but talks have progressed slowly, no doubt in part because his management wanted to see whether R360 got off the ground.
Souths’ bid to keep Gray has suddenly got much harder. The Broncos may face the same dilemma with Haas, although the lack of a franchise in Australia may help their cause.
Haas’ personal circumstances - he has two young children and also looks after his two younger brothers - add another layer to discussions about his future.
It is understood the email sent to player agents on Tuesday night confirmed that 12 teams would be registered for the competition - eight men’s and four women’s teams.
A player draft for their teams is planned to be held in the middle of next year. The inaugural season would begin with six men’s teams and start on October 2 before finishing pre-Christmas.
The second season in 2027 would run from April to September and involve 12 rounds. The email also made it clear that R360 wanted to finalise long-form deals with players within weeks.
