Wigan Warriors' Matt Peet delivers verdict on NRL's reported interest in Super League

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the NRL has agreed to consider a proposal to buy a 33 per cent stake in Super League providing it gets complete administrative control of the competition from 2028 as part of a bid to grow the sport internationally.

A 10-team competition was also part of the Australian reports on Tuesday, with the NRL keen to run the game in the northern hemisphere - although they don’t want to make the first move in the negotiation process between the two competitions.

The report from The Sydney Morning Herald also suggests secret meetings were held between NRL club bosses with Wigan owner Mike Danson and Warrington boss Simon Moran in Las Vegas. NRL supremo Peter V’landys has previously declared his interest in working with Super League - with his competition having enjoyed their most successful year yet in 2024.

Wigan and Warrington made history in March when they became the first two Super League clubs to be part of the NRL’s Las Vegas event, playing at the Allegiant Stadium as part of a four-match event, with two NRL games and a Test match between England Women and Australia Jillaroos also being played.

South Sydney Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly and Wests Tigers chief Shane Richardson are reported to be the key drivers from the NRL side, with the pair having previously worked at Super League clubs, and they have the backing from V’landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo.

“I think it’s one to explore,” said Peet. “I think the NRL have obviously done amazing things over there that hopefully we can tap into and learn from, but it’s got to be on the right terms for the people in British rugby league, but it certainly needs something.

“It’s probably not going to be the right thing for everybody, but I’d always be open to listening to an idea. If it’s the right thing to drive our sport forward in terms of on-field and off-field successes, then I think we’ve got enough intelligent people in our game to listen and then make a decision on what is best.”

It remains to be seen if clubs in the northern hemisphere would be willing to allow the NRL to purchase the aforementioned 33 per cent stake, with a strategic review currently ongoing, led by interim RFL chair Nigel Wood.

Asked if a 10-team competition could be the way forward for Super League, Peet replied: “I wouldn’t comment on that at this stage personally. Even if you said it was going to be a 15-team comp, there’d be teams that would be left out of that and therefore unhappy, so I don’t have the information, I’m not in a position to comment but I just think the dialogue needs to start.”

Warrington, Wigan, St Helens, Leeds, Hull KR and Hull FC have been mentioned as clubs included in the potential 10-team revamp by The Sydney Morning Herald, alongside French clubs Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique, which would leave two more spaces available.