"Huge value": Why Super League deal marks a great opportunity for NRL

With a deal seeing the NRL investing in the Super League gathering pace, former Super League General Manager and current South Sydney Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly believes there is plenty of value in the competition should the two parties agree to a deal.

After signing off on the biggest broadcast rights deal in Australian sporting history, the NRL has quickly turned its attention towards acquiring a stake in the northern hemisphere competition.

Discussions about purchasing the Super League have been on and off since the start of 2024, with the NRL having considered a takeover of the English competition.

But with their new TV rights money secured, NRL officials have arrived in England with interim RLF CEO Rhodri Jones hopeful of making ‘significant progress’ on an agreement.

Speaking on the potential investment by the NRL, the Rabbitohs chief executive believes there is huge upside for Peter V’Landys and the NRL by getting involved with the 14-team competition.

“I think there's huge value in it,” Solly said on SEN’s Kick Off.

“First and foremost, it protects the international game and ensures that there's a competitive England or Great Britain team.

“The UK is a massive market. It's 60 million people, it's sports-loving, there's obviously an opportunity to grow rugby league there as well.

“If it's well capitalised, the Super League competition at the moment, whilst on the field is under pressure, has probably never had a better set of owners of the clubs that are wanting to work and wanting to invest to grow the sport.

“I think it's a great opportunity for the NRL and there's also just some efficiencies in the NRL and Super League being owned and managed by the same company and hopefully we can work on a global calendar that just grows the sport.”

But when asked about the likelihood of any deal going through, Solly admitted it was a 50-50 given some of the issues over handing equity to the competition.  

“I think it's probably even money, to be honest with you,” he added.

“There's obviously some challenges to overcome in terms of the UK competition. You've got clubs that are gonna give up the influence that they've had over the game for a long period of time, and that's difficult for anyone to do.

“But at the same time they're facing a bit of a financial cliff.

“They've got a broadcast deal up for grabs at the end of the year that's going to be challenging to increase. So, I think they're in a situation where financially they need to do it.

“Then it's gonna be a philosophical point for them to cede some of that control and influence and allow Peter (V'Landys) and his team at the NRL to shake it up and probably do the things that the game's needed there for a decade.”