NRL NRL 2025 General Recruitment Thread

[Viking]

I heard from someone who has seen R360 in Europe. As of a month ago, they had about 80 men signed up. The best union players won't go until after the next RWC hence the League boys getting offers. A lot of female players are signing though as it's a full time pro gig for them which is something that neither code can offer women elsewhere.

R360 plan make it a bigger version of the sevens circuit style, with all 12 teams travelling to each location and making it a festival week with concerts and other forms of entertainment coinciding with the games.

It's hard to imagine how it succeeds to be honest. It's obviously timed to fill the squads with RWC players but logistically, it would be a nightmare. They'll be taking 300 plus players and at least the same amount of staff to each location, some of which have no appetite for rugby as shown by the small crowds at a number of the sevens comps. Imagine playing in a bigger version of the magic round, 16 times in a season along with the travel and different time zones etc......the players will burn out for sure.

I heard that Lomax stands to make 3 million for the first shortened season. That's almost double what the Top 14 clubs are paying stars.

 

[Canonball]

I heard from someone who has seen R360 in Europe. As of a month ago, they had about 80 men signed up. The best union players won't go until after the next RWC hence the League boys getting offers. A lot of female players are signing though as it's a full time pro gig for them which is something that neither code can offer women elsewhere.

R360 plan make it a bigger version of the sevens circuit style, with all 12 teams travelling to each location and making it a festival week with concerts and other forms of entertainment coinciding with the games.

It's hard to imagine how it succeeds to be honest. It's obviously timed to fill the squads with RWC players but logistically, it would be a nightmare. They'll be taking 300 plus players and at least the same amount of staff to each location, some of which have no appetite for rugby as shown by the small crowds at a number of the sevens comps. Imagine playing in a bigger version of the magic round, 16 times in a season along with the travel and different time zones etc......the players will burn out for sure.

I heard that Lomax stands to make 3 million for the first shortened season. That's almost double what the Top 14 clubs are paying stars.

I think whoever is behind it is vastly over-estimating the game's global appeal too - a lot of union's international appeal comes via tradition and nationalism, that's clearly not going to transfer to the New York Coneheads, or the Madrid Ruckus... I can't see it working either.

 

[JaggedJ]

Struggling to see how it will make a profit.

Short term they might not care, but long term there's got to be a limit to how much money they'll sink.

Haas would be an interesting test case if it happens. 3 mil per season for someone who will play what position? Centre? No8?

Doesn't seem suited to either. It's as if they're chasing names/headlines more than anything else.

 

[Viking]

I think whoever is behind it is vastly over-estimating the game's global appeal too - a lot of union's international appeal comes via tradition and nationalism, that's clearly not going to transfer to the New York Coneheads, or the Madrid Ruckus... I can't see it working either.

Yeah that's a good point, the novelty might make up for the lack of tribalism, what happens when the novelty wears off? And even if they got the players, where does the quality staff come from for 12 new teams?

The money's there though, it's bankrolled by some US outfits and surely they've done their due diligence. If the comp loses 10s, or even 100s of millions getting off the ground, the US backers will get bored of it.

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

damn, i suppose it has to be that much to forego a whole year on your NRL contract.

 

[Viking]

I didn't hear about the Zac Lomax money from the person i know who talked to R360 but from a rugby coach via an agent so yeah.....Lomax isn't worth that IMO.

Edit: news.com.au reporting 3 mil for two years. That sounds more like it.

 

[CWC]

So is it a Saudi or US company bankrolling this?
Saudis are trying to buy WB/Discovery too, and there's still money to be made with movies/streaming/merch
But for R360, 80 players? That's 2 teams
They expect league fans to watch league stars playing union?
This thing will be a joke, if it's run by an US firm they'll end it after flopping for 1-2 seasons with some CEOs getting fired, or if run by Saudis some prince's pride will be hurt and he'll terminate it to stop eternal embarrassment

It's crazy but it's totally in line with the likes of Disney managing to half Star Wars' box office in 4 years and never released a film again, losing $100-200M per Marvel flops since 2023, Paramount spending 400M+ on latest Mission Impossible to lose hundreds of millions or WB announcing Henry Cavill's fired (6 weeks after announcing his return), DC studio CEO announcing DCEU is finished/rebooted, with 4 MORE FILMS still on the slate to be released, each ended up losing $200M+ that year

You can't underestimate the stupidity of big corps

 

[Noitall]

Good to see ex Warriors player Patrick Herbert getting a shot at tigers. Not sure if it’s train and trial or what type of contract?

 

[Noitall]

PNG 'cult hero' puts pen to paper on Bears deal

First 'name' player secured

www.nine.com.au

Bit of a miss for the new PNG franchise with Perth picking up the PNG international dummy half

 

[Viking]

So is it a Saudi or US company bankrolling this?
Saudis are trying to buy WB/Discovery too, and there's still money to be made with movies/streaming/merch
But for R360, 80 players? That's 2 teams
They expect league fans to watch league stars playing union?
This thing will be a joke, if it's run by an US firm they'll end it after flopping for 1-2 seasons with some CEOs getting fired, or if run by Saudis some prince's pride will be hurt and he'll terminate it to stop eternal embarrassment

It's crazy but it's totally in line with the likes of Disney managing to half Star Wars' box office in 4 years and never released a film again, losing $100-200M per Marvel flops since 2023, Paramount spending 400M+ on latest Mission Impossible to lose hundreds of millions or WB announcing Henry Cavill's fired (6 weeks after announcing his return), DC studio CEO announcing DCEU is finished/rebooted, with 4 MORE FILMS still on the slate to be released, each ended up losing $200M+ that year

You can't underestimate the stupidity of big corps

US and UK money but registered in the UAE. Someone's probably joined the dots with the Saudi investment in boxing.

 

[Noitall]

Rumoured signings thread on the LU forum are saying Kamikamica to super league and Tino to storm. No idea if genuine or not?

 

[juju]

Storm will probably have salary cap concessions for Eli missing 2026 season.
Quite the war chest

 

[Defence]

Storm will probably have salary cap concessions for Eli missing 2026 season.
Quite the war chest

it’s gonna be interesting to see what happens there- they’ve got all this money but no one to spend it on.
Players are gonna need a release to sign there.
Pretty hard to replace Nas and Eli on such short notice.
Wonder if they’d consider Marata- on paper he’d tick a lot of boxes for them.

 

[Noitall]

it’s gonna be interesting to see what happens there- they’ve got all this money but no one to spend it on.
Players are gonna need a release to sign there.
Pretty hard to replace Nas and Eli on such short notice.
Wonder if they’d consider Marata- on paper he’d tick a lot of boxes for them.

Yeah he’s who I have been considering could make sense to head that way? There were rumours there was interest in Jack Hetherington? Surely a player like Koloamatangi comes into consideration too? Think there’s some thought too that Jack Howarth might play second row? Which case they be interested in a centre?

 

[Defence]

Yeah he’s who I have been considering could make sense to head that way? There were rumours there was interest in Jack Hetherington? Surely a player like Koloamatangi comes into consideration too?

I don’t think souths would release Koloamatangi for next year though.
I could see mad jack going there but they’re gonna need more than that.

 

[Defence]

Yeah he’s who I have been considering could make sense to head that way? There were rumours there was interest in Jack Hetherington? Surely a player like Koloamatangi comes into consideration too? Think there’s some thought too that Jack Howarth might play second row? Which case they be interested in a centre?

Just saw u edited your post- yeah howarth to edge forward could be a good shout- they’re still gonna have to spend the money somewhere though.
Still got papi’s money too.

 

[UpTheWahs]

it’s gonna be interesting to see what happens there- they’ve got all this money but no one to spend it on.
Players are gonna need a release to sign there.
Pretty hard to replace Nas and Eli on such short notice.
Wonder if they’d consider Marata- on paper he’d tick a lot of boxes for them.

If I was Cappy I'd offer Marata to the Storm and piss DWZ off to R360.

But I doubt the storm would even consider Marata's 850k salary. Would need to chip in a fair bit.

 

[Noitall]

View: https://x.com/FOXNRL/status/1990875196216287536

Been some talk Reynolds could return to souths

 

[Falcon]

It’s been interesting to listen and read about the R360 - the mystical new oval ball comp that is about to launch.

A couple of musings,

1. Are the current NRL players about to jump ship and make the numbers up for this comp a sort of cannon fodder/ collateral damage for this new comp?

If reading between the limited lines of info about this comp, what is significant in my mind is the top rugby union players in Europe either won’t join until after next years rugby World Cup, or won’t join at all if they have ambitions to play international rugby as all home unions will not pick them.

Any NRL players in their prime (24-27 yrs) who have ambitions of joining R360 could win big ..or lose big. If the comp flops, after 2 seasons where to next - Japan or France as the NRL are proposing a 10 year ban for those choosing to join.

The Game. This has been touched on but not in any significance. The game of rugby as a product is currently terrible.
Is R360 as we know it is just another global rugby comp that is different in only the salaries on offer?

My biggest fear would be if R360 were to shake it up and rework the game and the rules to create an incredibly dynamic / hybrid game of both league and union that’s been talked about over the years.

It’s all a bit pie in the sky stuff at the moment without knowing all the information. What I do think is due to the players potentially prepared to switch codes it’s giving oxygen to a comp that is yet to be launched.

 

[ndp26]

‘Fool’s gold’: Haas’ shock $1.5m Broncos decision looms as R360 collapse fears grow

‘Fool’s gold’: Haas’ shock $1.5m Broncos decision looms as R360 collapse fears grow

www.foxsports.com.au

"However, the uncertainty surrounding R360 and the potential of a ban from NRL powerbrokers have seen Haas hold concerns regarding a rugby move... Even those within R360’s ranks reportedly have concerns of their own regarding the game’s finances and the potential for the competition to even get off the ground."

Wonder if there is a betting market for whether R360 will reach kick-off.