NRL to table second offer to Super League as partnership talks increase

The NRL is set to come to Super League with new terms, as talks of a partnership between the two competitions continue.

The Australian game, spearheaded by ARLC Chairman Peter V’Landys, has already come to Super League once with an offer said to be in the region of $11.5 million per year for five years.

In return, the NRL would receive an annual increase in stake of 10%, meaning that by the end of the period they would own half of the competition.

That initial bid was rejected, and now a second offer is set to be tabled, with supremos from down under and the RFL preparing to converse over an agreement.

V’Landys is hopeful that an agreement can be made this week, with RL Commercial set to meet with Australian representatives over the phone.

The Courier Mail in Australia are reporting that, in the midst of Super League clubs recording seven-figure losses, the deal will sit at around $57 million, or around £30.4 million, again over five years.

In the updated agreement, there is no talk of the NRL having a stake in the competition, though that could change. As it stands, only finances are being discussed in the second offer.

The same masthead says that “at least” 10 of the 14 top-flight clubs are in support of the NRL’s financial aid, however, the likes of Wigan Warriors CEO Kris Radlinski and Warrington Chief Karl Fitzpatrick have both said they can’t agree a deal without a plan of how the agreement will work.

The Super League marketing landscape is vastly different to that of the NRL, with Radlinski saying recently that expertise is needed as well as the money.

The NRL have long said that the UK game is heading downhill without their involvement, and given some of the recorded losses in recent weeks, their investment, as well as their knowledge, is paramount.

“We’re a firm believer in having a strong game in England and we’re a firm believer in the international game,” V’Landys told the Courier Mail last month.  “You can’t have an international game without England.

“At the moment, it’s got its challenges, but rugby league has to be strong in England. We’re doing everything we can to see how we can assist in the future.”

The NRL recently signed a new TV deal worth $5.3 billion, whilst Super League’s last broadcast deal amounted to around £20 million, and there is still no clarity on where the game will be shown in 2027 and beyond.

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