Winter rugby and mergers top Super League’s NRL takeover fears
Wakefield Trinity owner Matt Ellis has urged the NRL to provide Super League with more detail about their plans to alleviate concerns regarding radical changes.
Rugby League Commercial were set to inform ARLC that they would not be accepting their initial proposal of investment into the competition after a meeting of owners on Thursday, with more money for less control their hope.
Speaking after that meeting in the second-part of an interview first published yesterday, Ellis went into further detail about some of the concerns held by Super League clubs, particularly the repercussions of giving the NRL complete control of the competition moving forward.
“If the NRL come in with a proper deal, I’ll be really happy,” Ellis told Love Rugby League. “But how can you possibly ask a club to vote for something when they’re guaranteeing nothing?
“As an example, we know a TV deal in the winter would be great for them, as it would provide them 12 months of rugby.
“We also know they think it’s not beneficial to have so many clubs so close to each other and they could consider mergers, and that they think the competition should have fewer teams in it. We can’t hand over control without further details and assurances on details like that.
“The reality is, there’s no business plan, no strategic plan has been provided and they’re wanting full control over the schedule and the clubs that participate.
“If they commit to the teams that are already in the competition with a focus on introducing new clubs coming into the league to build it in the future, then I’d be all for it. But right now, we don’t know because they’ve not provided those details”
Sky Sports are expected to sign a deal to show three games per season in 2027, but where the other four games go remains to be seen. Premier Sports are understood to be interested, while the NRL are believed to have held discussions with DAZN. Some Super League owners, such as Ellis, have endorsed SuperLeague+ as a potential home for those games as well as additional content.
