New "LIV Style" Global Rugby League

[Wilson]

Disagree myself. I think the real competitors always want it and chase it and play in the pinnacle games. NZ have held every trophy in the past decade but don't seem to drop interest.

There is also the draw of being a sporting celeb that things like Origin can do for these young men. People can't even name Wallabies these days.

Regardless, they are giving up high honours if they go to R360 but the potential money will sway guys. It has to. Some players are being offered money that does put them in secure places for the rest of their life if they aren't dumb. I tend to think we just havent heard of the Rugby players yet as they are playing games and people are trying to play nice.

Those guys definitely exist, but I'm not convinced there are that many of them, or more that their are enough guys who aren't that in the NRL for R360 to get good pay from targeting them.

To be honest I think our biggest worry from a player perspective with R360 will be second order departures - not the guys getting lured to the unproven, pie in the sky comp, but the ones we lose to Top 14, Japan, etc. to back fill after they've lost marquee players themselves. That, and the other end when NRL goes much harder for our shared junior talent, particularly with a couple of new clubs to fill. I think there's a bit more reticence around taking the unproven R360 contract because the guys in union have seen clubs collapse first hand, and most don't have the NRL rip cord that a player coming over will have if it all goes tits up within a season.

 

[Major Tom]

Origin isn't nothing, but it only counts for so many of them for so long, I don't think it has the ongoing draw that test rugby does once they've played a season or two, particularly once they've won it (it's a bit the same with a Grand Final). The fact that our guys aren't winning anything means they're still hungry to try for a lot longer. International league is similar right now, probably with more interest in repping Samoa or Tonga a few times and moving on. That's something they can still do if they go to R360, just in Union instead. I don't think anyone really cares about the Kangaroos (yet) when it comes time to think about contracts.

But overall I think the big reason it's different is because RA is used to being outbid and having to compete somewhat outside of financial terms for their playing talent. In league that has only ever happened in isolated spots and they don't have a whole of game strategy to address a cashed up competitor going directly for their top flight talent. It's also a bit tricky when you've got ~18 clubs running around but only a few guys still get to be the "best" or "biggest name", it leaves a lot more genuine stars with wandering eyes who are open to an opportunity like this.

It will be interesting if it ever gets up. Super Rugby and the NRL are both vulnerable, but NRL definitely have more to lose and it's showing. Personally, I love watching the horse guy publicly sparring with a "competition out of a cornflakes box".

 

[Major Tom]

Those guys definitely exist, but I'm not convinced there are that many of them, or more that their are enough guys who aren't that in the NRL for R360 to get good pay from targeting them.

To be honest I think our biggest worry from a player perspective with R360 will be second order departures - not the guys getting lured to the unproven, pie in the sky comp, but the ones we lose to Top 14, Japan, etc. to back fill after they've lost marquee players themselves. That, and the other end when NRL goes much harder for our shared junior talent, particularly with a couple of new clubs to fill. I think there's a bit more reticence around taking the unproven R360 contract because the guys in union have seen clubs collapse first hand, and most don't have the NRL rip cord that a player coming over will have if it all goes tits up within a season.

I think that it's come at the worst possible time for NRL as they look to expand. PNG will get tax incentives but it's going to cost money to keep them afloat (they are getting assistance from the government). And I have heard that the Perth Bears aren't going to get any salary cap concessions so it's not going to be successful with the amount of travel they have to do. Anyone that thinks it's going to work like the Dolphins is delusional. I reckon he's a bit under the pump with that.

 

[KOB1987]

It will be interesting if it ever gets up. Super Rugby and the NRL are both vulnerable, but NRL definitely have more to lose and it's showing. Personally, I love watching the horse guy publicly sparring with a "competition out of a cornflakes box".

V’landys (the horse racing guy) looked noticeably shaky when he was questioned about the Lomax defection on TV last night.

 

[Wilson]

Regardless of whether this comp is likely to get up, or a real threat to our player base, RA (alongside other unions like NZ and SA) should absolutely be leveraging it as a way to get player transfer fees off the ground. The biggest issue with R360 in it's current guise is that it bypasses development funding (a big part of why it can pay players overs for players) and as such exists as a largely parasitic entity. Force that development funding through transfer fees and it becomes much easier to see it fit in the overall rugby ecosystem, and probably means nations can walk back their test selection ban.

If they can use the threat of R360 to get a few of the Northern Hemisphere nations on board (Wales must be pretty keen given there recent financial struggles and reducing pro teams) than it's arguably a better position for us then we are in right now, whether or not R360 gets up or even if it chooses to exist as an unaccredited comp outside of world rugby's purview and avoid the fees as a result.

 

[Omar Comin']

I get the sinking feeling that a whole host of Wallabies have signed with R360 and it'll be announced after next week's game.

There's no reason why they can't poach our best if they can also poach NRL's best who are paid that much more than the Wallabies to begin with.

How many in or close to our best 23 come off contract in 2026? Max Jorgensen is one - and he'd obviously attract a big offer, but I think most of the bigger names have been signed through to the world cup. I guess Mark Nawaqanitawase could go there for the first season too, maybe Noah Lolesio. The bigger impact will be post world cup if r360 is still going by then and the money remains the same.