Former NRL tough man Paul Gallen has scoffed at suggestions that the NRL should buy Super League and instead urged for the southern hemisphere’s main competition to actively avoid buying their northern counterparts.
Recent negative reaction in reference to the state of the international game and the fact that the NRL is in the midst of major expansion, The Dolphins having become the competition’s 17th team last year with plans in place for a further three teams to be added as well.
Meanwhile, Super League and the English game has seen clubs consistently lose money with two professional teams folding in the past couple of seasons in West Wales Raiders and London Skolars, whilst Newcastle Thunder were brought back from the brink.
Given the immense trajectory that the NRL is on, it’s evident that they are now the kingmakers in Rugby League and Super League should actively seek investment from the competition, something that Canterbury Bulldogs Director of Football Gus Gould has claimed multiple Super League owners want to happen.
Former player Paul Gallen was having none of it though with the one-club man left asking “why”, calling for internal investment instead.
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Ex-Cronulla skipper argues against NRL investing in Super League
Credit: Imago Images
Investment in the English game was a topic of discussion on Channel Nine with Gould and Gallen the main protagonists, the former advocating for investment in Super League, something that Gallen couldn’t understand.
Gallen epitomised the insular short-term thinking that hindered Super League in the early 2000s and led to this era of NRL dominance as he argued against NRL investment in the competition, stating: “I think the best players from the UK are going to make their way to Australia anyway. I think we should be shoring up our own shores here.”
He’d go on to explain how the money should be used and did pick out a strong cause but was oblivious to the fact that the international game could well collapse if Super League doesn’t receive support from the NRL.
Gallen continued: “We should be putting some money back into grassroots footy. We had two years of Covid and this year Junior League in my area have played about four or five games. The grounds are terrible, put some money into grassroots footy and build some grounds with drainage so that kids can play.
“Put some money back into country rugby league. What about clubs that develop talent, we should be giving money to them. We should be rewarding them.”
Despite Gould explaining his rationale behind investing in Super League, the former Cronulla player was having none of it.
“What’s the point? It doesn’t help the NRL and logistically it’s a nightmare with the time difference. I just can’t see how it can work, or how the Super League can be beneficial for the NRL.”
Gould also argued for the NRL to become the sport’s sole governing body in a bid to help save International Rugby League, an idea that holds plenty of weight given the worrying state that the international game is in.
