NRL officials have arrived in England to hold talks with Super League clubs as the prospect of a groundbreaking deal with the Australian competition nears completion. The move marks the clearest sign yet that an agreement is close, with Super League’s leading official, Rhodri Jones, expressing optimism about significant progress within the next seven days.
Investment and Control at Stake
Rugby league’s two premier club competitions have been in discussions for most of this year about a deal that would see the NRL invest a significant sum into Super League while taking authoritative control of the competition to transform its long-term fortunes. The investment would also ensure the financial security of clubs. Both competitions put talks on hold while they finalised their broadcast details; the NRL has just completed a A$5.3bn (£2.8bn) deal for its rights, while Super League expects to confirm its new-look broadcast deal within the next week. Sky Sports is expected to show two or three games a week, with the rest of the fixtures streamed or broadcast elsewhere.
NRL’s Priority Shift
The NRL has now made Super League investment its number one priority. The Guardian has been told by multiple clubs that they have been visited by officials from Australia, or expect a visit in the coming days. The belief is that Australian figures are keen to get a deeper understanding of the mood among clubs as they consider a proposal from Super League to invest.
Rhodri Jones said: “We’re very hopeful that we’ll make some significant progress with the NRL over the next seven days. We’ve been engaged with them since May but they’ve now done their TV deal, so I can say it feels like we’re their top priority. It’s still with them to come back to us. We’re hopeful we’ll get something very soon.”
Wigan and Warrington Lead the Way
Both Wigan and Warrington, who became the first Super League clubs to make the trip to Las Vegas last year with the NRL, have long been advocates of Australian investment and governance. The Warriors’ CEO, Kris Radlinski, reiterated that backing on Wednesday at the announcement of their Dublin clash with Warrington at Leinster’s RDS Arena on Saturday 24 April next year. When asked if Wigan supported were still supportive of the NRL deal, Radlinski said: “100%. As we have been from the start. What they’re doing in the NRL is fantastic. I think it’s the start of a significant few months for the sport. We’re at a point where we’ll find out our broadcasting future at a time when our NRL counterparts are closing in on an offer.”
Dublin Weekend and Promotion
Wigan and Warrington are hopeful of a capacity 20,000 crowd in Dublin, with the Warriors likely to lean on the Ireland rugby coach and Wigan legend, Andy Farrell, to help promote the game. Hull FC are in talks about moving a home game on Sunday 25 April to the same venue to make it a weekend-long event for Super League.
