KEY POINTS:
The NRL will now be more worried than ever with the announcement that UK Super League are seeking to expand their competition from 12 to 14 teams by next year.
The northern-hemisphere organisation has attracted more corporate sponsorship and has had increased television revenue to allow them to take such action. That will be sending shivers up the spine of the administrators across the Tasman as their showpiece shows signs of vulnerability.
The Australian game has always prided itself on the fact it is a better and stronger competition than anything Great Britain could ever put up against it and New Zealand has never rated as a threat. Appeal no longer keeps players in Australia and the bright lights of Sydney are no longer the attraction; money is the language of the players.
New Zealand has always been a feeder system to Australia and Great Britain but the European clubs are now a little more selective in their choices. Twenty years ago it was viewed that you really only made the big time when you succeeded in Australia and that the northern-hemisphere game was easy, i.e. easy game, easy money.
How times have changed! The UK Super League is now enticing the big-name players in the prime of their careers, as opposed to the retirement packages offered in days past. Super League made a transition to playing in summer in 1995-1996, lured better coaches to their shores and improved competitiveness to a high standard.
A fact that needs to be recognised is that the population base of the European community is paying dividends compared with that of Australia. It is pure economics and the players are reaping the benefits.
With two more clubs seeking a franchise licence and inclusion into Super League, the NRL will be jittery as agents explore options for their clients. Worse, the NRL do not know how to combat the player drain to the northern hemisphere. Not until they secure more revenue can the NRL feel confident of retaining players in Australia. No longer will the lure of State of Origin and Kangaroo jumpers retain the high-profile players.
Will the Rugby Football League be aware of the shift in power in world rugby league if high-profile players are contracted to these two new clubs? Money will determine the strength of a competition and it is quickly proving that Europe is where the power will soon be. Australia is rapidly losing ground as attendances drop and unrest develops in clubs through the frustration of not knowing how to address the issue.
Further amalgamation between Sydney clubs or relocation outside Sydney is one alternative, but the big question is who is brave enough to make such a decision? The only incentive for any club to do so is $A7m, which is enticing, but unless the clubs can start achieving profits annually, that $A7m will not last long as salaries start to spiral.