I could go on – and at some length at that – but the central point remains. Nothing about R360 makes sense commercially. None of the pin-stripe brigade that actually understands the dynamics of rugby union could think this is going to work.
LIV pissed off golf people the world over and made no one feel good about Saudi Arabia. Why would R360 work any better by pissing off rugby and rugby league people around the world, too?
Is Ryan Papenhuyzen’s sudden move out of league a mere harbinger of what is to come? Has he done it because he has R360 money in the bank and wants a clean transfer?
It is possible, I guess. But the way these things work is that the rebels sign contracts promising them squillions if they get the funding. Then the circus-masters take the hundreds of contracts to the Big Money Bovver Boys and say, “We have the teams, ready to go, so give us the money.”
Then there’s the huge announcement, and Thunderbirds are go. And always, in the lead-up to the big announcement, there are weeks of leaks: a series of superstars known to have signed.
Here, we have had a few names bandied about, but that’s it. When I interviewed Harry Wilson about it at the Cauliflower Club last month, he was relaxed on the subject. There had been talk about it, certainly, but he was clearly unaware of any big-name players who had signed.
Papenhuyzen aside, it feels like the thing is fading, which is to the good. But this next fortnight should tell the tale.
NRL’s global round idea: what’s the point?
As to the week’s other big news that, following on from the NRL’s aforementioned Las Vegas launch venture, they are considering doing a global launch in 2027 across cities like London, Dubai, Hong Kong, and possibly Miami or Paris, allow me to say … meh.
Why bother?
As discussed, while Las Vegas has been a hugely expensive exercise for the NRL, which has delivered three-fifths of bugger-all in its stated aims of penetrating the American sports TV market and lifting gambling revenue by lassoing American mugs too, there is an upside.
That is, it genuinely does give the start of the whole season a huge amount of buzz. For marketing value alone, the $10 million cost might be worth it, even though such league financial wise-heads like Shane Richardson maintained to the Australian Financial Review that the whole exercise is “a f—ing disaster”.
NRL bosses Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas.Credit: NRL Photos
But now multiply that by five. Who thinks that for an outlay of say $50 million, they will get five times the buzz? Of course they won’t.
For one thing there are only so many league fans to go around and while getting to Las Vegas is easy and cheap enough to be able to substantially fill the stadium there with people from Sydney and Brissie, that simply ain’t going to happen in London and Paris.
Yes, the whole thing would give the NRL certain boasting rights – and endless, breathless front pages – but if Shane Richardson thinks Las Vegas a “f—ing disaster,” he ain’t seen nothing yet.
Right now, I can’t remember who once said, “While rugby league was going after Beijing and Berlin, Aussie Rules was pursuing Sydney and Brisbane,” but it was astute. Why try taking league to Paris and Miami, when the residents of the former openly sneer at the game as pathetic, and the latter have never heard of it?
Skipping the race that once stopped the nation
Yes, yes, yes, I know the Melbourne Cup is on Tuesday arvo. But, rest assured, I only know because a very old cab driver mentioned it to me, presuming I’d be interested and have an opinion on it.
The answer was no, to being interested; and YES, to having an opinion on it.
While it used “to be the race that stops the nation”, the truth is that as the years go by, fewer and fewer people truly care. You may present this as your note for sitting this one out.
And yes, fire at will, see if I care. I will be in my trailer.
What they said
Marty Taupau, on the Broncos sacking him earlier in the year for “liking” an Instagram post criticising his coach: “But looking back it now I feel like it was God just stepping in and saying, ‘Okay Marty, it’s time for you to put your boots down’.” Listen, He moves in mysterious ways!
Toronto Blue Jay Nathan Lukes after they won Game 1 of the World Series: “Everyone’s comparing us to David and Goliath. But I think it’s more like Goliath vs Goliath.”
Cameron Munster on being in England: “It took me a couple of days to get over the jet lag, but I love England. The only thing I don’t like is the traffic.”
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Nathan Cleary has FOMO if he’s not in the grand final: “I did watch it, and I definitely felt envious not being in it. But I think I had a great appreciation for what Brisbane were able to do.”
Cleary on what people in England say to him: “They said: ‘oh, nice to meet you, but I just want to let you know, I love your girlfriend more’. And I was like ‘yeah, same’.”
Mary Fowler:“Being in the spotlight has made me really crave privacy. My sporting dream was to go to the Olympics, and I’ve been lucky enough to do that, and the only other dream I’ve ever had was to start a family. I get motivated and want to do really well in my career because of wanting to start a family and wanting to do that in the best way I can.”
ARLC boss Peter V’landys on taking Origin to New Zealand: “We will keep trying new things to grow our audience and the one thing we have the AFL doesn’t is international appeal.” I suppose, (sniff) you could call it that. Just.
V’landys on the idea of expanding the Las Vegas concept to have an opening round played in cities across the globe: “I’ve always said you need to get new revenues. New revenues have to come from other markets … We have to look at the business plan and see if we can do it. There’s a lot of interest. We’ve already had countries approach us.” [See item.]
Joe Schmidt on the narrow win against Japan: “I don’t think it needed to be that tense.”
Milwaukee Bucks coach and former NBA star Doc Rivers on the public, and the pressures of social media: “The outside world, in my day, couldn’t get to us. They literally couldn’t get to us. And now they can, with ease.”
The Guardian’s John Davidson: “Barry Humphries came to London in 1959 to become a star. Germaine Greer came to the UK to study in the 1960s, while Clive James did the same, swapping Kogarah for Kensington to become a renowned writer. Fast forward 60-odd years, and it was Reece Walsh arriving in the English capital, albeit for a briefer stay, and out to make a splash in the Old Dart. And on Saturday in the cauldron of Wembley Stadium, he did just that.”
Australian cricket coach Andrew McDonald on Pat Cummins being unavailable for first Ashes Test: “We sort of flagged this a week or so ago that it would take sort of four-plus weeks to get him up and running and we’ve run out of time, unfortunately. But really optimistic and hopeful for the second Test match.”
Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze on scoring against Crystal Palace: “When it went in [the goal] I wanted to thank God and Jesus but I also wanted to be respectful [with the celebrations].”
Team of the Week
Oscar Piastri. Has just four races to go to not spend the rest of his life regretting that he didn’t win the 2025 Formula 1 championship, which I gather is a very big deal for lots of people – including one correspondent, who was appalled, simply APPALLED that, personally, I am not fussed with screaming cars going rrrrRRRRRRrrround and rrrrrRRRRrrround and rrrrRRRRrrround.
Matildas. Went down 3-0 to England in a friendly. Things might be looking a bit crook in Tallarook?
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Wallabies. Take on England at Twickenham tonight. RAH!
Kangaroos. Take on England at Everton’s new stadium.
Reece Walsh. Australia’s best athlete in the world at the moment?
Sam Kerr. Back for the Matildas, and says she wants to be captain.
RIP “Parra” Pete Montgomery. The long-time TFF correspondent, and legend of bush footy – both league and union, passed away this week. A very good man, who gave so much to bush sport, particularly around Hay and Albury. Vale, Pete.
