Talk of the NRL wanting to take over the English Super League is nothing new.
Rumours have been on the bubble for a while now, with no shortage of parties trumpeting the commercial virtues of shoring up the planet’s second biggest—and arguably most economically important—professional rugby league competition.
Two of the game’s most experienced chief executives, Shane Richardson and Blake Solly, have met with NRL bosses on numerous occasions to explore the possibilities, reportedly drawing up detailed proposals on how it could be done.
Alas, if only it was that simple.
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Peter V’Landys to the rescue?
At a time when rugby league in England is struggling financially with clubs particularly concerned about the soon-to-end television deal with Sky Sports and the general governance of the sport, who better to come in and save the day than the all-conquering Peter V’Landys?
Secure the competition, grow the sport internationally, expand the TV rights. Everyone wins, right? Well, not exactly.
As recently as April, the Guardian newspaper reported the NRL was interested in taking a 33% stake in Super League, but only on the condition that it would assume full administrative control—something the Guardian explained would ‘break the cycle of British rugby league’s major decisions being made by its own clubs’.
‘There’s probably a better way of doing this’
Fair to say not all stakeholders were keen on that idea, a situation made even more complicated against the backdrop of a hostile power struggle in March that claimed the scalp of Rugby Football League chair Simon Johnson.
Johnson was replaced by one of the more polarising figures in English rugby league, its former chief executive Nigel Wood who also happens to be a co-owner of the second tier English club, Bradford Bulls.
“There’s an appetite from the (club) owners to say there’s probably a better way of doing this,” Wood told UK Sky Sports on his re-appointment earlier in the year, before confirming expansion would be on the table with discussions around growing Super League from 12 to 14 teams.
Well, as reported by the BBC that moment duly arrived this week with a majority of Super League clubs voting to expand England’s top-tier competition from the 2026 season—and once again not everyone is happy.
In fact, opponents are claiming that instead of expanding Super League to 14 teams, Wood and Co should be reducing it to just 10 in order to consolidate the game’s strained talent pool and resources, rather than spreading them even thinner.
Further highlighting the somewhat murky nature of recent events, reports have also emerged that current Super League broadcaster Sky Sports has real concerns at ‘picking up the additional cost to broadcast extra matches it did not buy in a tender process that concluded almost two years ago’, something that may jeopardise future TV deals.
Expansion or otherwise, serious doubts remain as to the future of the game in England and many are looking towards the southern hemisphere for salvation.
‘There has to be strong collaboration’
For his part, Nigel Wood has acknowledged having contact with the NRL and indicated that some form of collaboration between the two competitions would be ‘the best way forward’ while stopping short of endorsing a complete takeover by the NRL.
“I’d be for anything that involves closer working relationships,” he told The Bench podcast on Sky Sports.
“At the end of the day, if we truly want to unlock the potential of the sport, and most people do, then there has to be strong collaboration by those parts of the globe where it’s played and excels.”
Right now it’s difficult to see where this all lands, as things are fluid and messy.
But if there’s one thing we know about ARLC chairman Peter V’Landys, he’s more than adept at capitalising upon messy situations.
With the looming Kangaroo Tour perhaps the timing really is right for a big international play from NRL power brokers?
Watch this space.