"Can't confirm or deny": Pap's agent breaks silence on R360

Ryan Papenhuyzen’s manager Steve Gillis has spoken with SEN about his client’s reported interest in the Saudi-backed R360 competition saying he cannot confirm or deny the rumours.

The 2020 Clive Churchill medallist has reportedly held a high-level meeting with the bosses of the rebel league.

“If it’s in the paper, it must be right,” Gillis told SEN 1170 Mornings.

“I haven’t had any discussions with Rugby 360. My work partner looks after Ryan’s day-to-day so I can’t confirm or deny those reports.

“I know that there’s been plenty written about R360 and it’s been gaining momentum.

“Ryan is off-contract at the Storm at the end of 2026. He’s free then to talk to the local bowls club for a career there.

“He has a mutual option with the Storm, so Ryan has the ability to leave the club.

“He’s got a great relationship with the club, and I don’t think he’s in any hurry to leave.

“If he can win a few Premierships this year and next year, it may change his mindset on what he may or may not do at the end of his contract.

“Ryan is a thinker and he’s always open to ideas and looking at something different.

“That being said, I don’t think anything drastic is going to happen.”

The Saudi-backed rebel R360 league could lure more than 10 NRL players away from Australia for its inaugural season with eye-watering salaries on offer.

It is understood the creators behind R360 want to launch in September 2026 with a structure of 12 teams and a collective 300 players.

The league, which has been founded by former England centre Mike Tindall, has the financial backing to offer players as much as $3m USD a season – so what’s to stop the best from walking away from the NRL?

The money is better; the seasons are shorter. It’s win-win, according to Corey Parker who fears for the impact it will have on the NRL.

“This is going to be a real concern moving forward,” Parker said on SENQ Breakfast.

“If the R360 gets approval, I’m led to believe that 120 players have agreed and (they need) a total of 300 players, four of five NRL players have verbally agreed.

“This is US dollars (1.5m a season), all eight franchises are sold. It’s going to be like the F1. Each round moves cities over the course of 14 rounds.

“It’s hugely enticing for an NRL player like Kalyn) Ponga, (Ryan) Papenhuyzen and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck but if they throw the net wide, for a Nathan Cleary, then only currency is money.

“Nathan has won four premierships; he gets criticised heavily when he plays for NSW when things don’t go their way. What’s to stop him?

“If Cleary went, then others (would follow) and let’s say they took 10 or more of our best, the game is going to suffer. We can say as much as we like that there is another player coming through, but this is a concern.

“Some of the rugby players we have in our game at the moment; Stephen Crichton, Cameron Murray and Will Penisini, league poached them but what’s to stop them saying ‘for that money I’m out’.”

Tindall has been in Australia for an extended visit in recent weeks with many of the belied he is scouting for players and holding talks with possible defectors.