Hull KR owner Neil Hudgell has called for an independent approach to running Super League as he backed the potential NRL partnership and warned that clubs cannot be left to make decisions based solely on self-interest.
The Australian Rugby League Commission tabled an offer earlier this month following an extended period of talks between the two competitions on either side of the globe.
It was reported that Super League had been offered £7 million per year for a 10 per cent equity stake across a five-year strategic partnership. The deal would also see DAZN broadcast four Super League games per week free of charge.
However, the proposal was not accepted, with RL Commercial having since returned to the negotiating table with the NRL.
Hudgell, the passionate Hull KR owner, insists a deal should be reached if the right package can be agreed, while admitting he stopped attending Super League meetings five years ago because of the “dynamics” in the room.
“I think, quite simply for me, we need to try to make this deal happen. The principle of it is, it needs to happen for the game,” Hudgell said on the latest episode of Sky Sports’ The Bench Podcast.
“I used to sit around the Super League table, but I stopped doing that five years ago because I didn’t like the dynamics of it because you’ve got a series of clubs that vote for self-interest and end up cutting each other’s throats. It’s not in the best interest of the game.
“We need to parachute somebody in independently, that’s probably going to upset everybody from time to time for the betterment of the game. The game has got so many fabulous qualities to it, but it can’t run itself.
“If the price is right, and as I understand it there might be a bit of a mixed bag from investment from two or three places, if the package is right, they’ve clearly got the skillset to do it. It really needs to happen.”
Hudgell also added his support for the potential inclusion of London Broncos in Super League in the future, with the NRL reportedly keen on adding the capital club to the top flight, alongside backing for French clubs. Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique are on course to remain in Super League for 2027 under the IMG gradings, while it is believed London Broncos are still currently outside the top 14.
He continued: “We’ve got to look strategically about where the game is and what the game is. You’ve got the corridor – Hull, Leeds and the North West.
“London, for me, has to be in at some point. It needs to be right, it’s never been in the right place (before), but Thursday night in London in the right spot has got to be an attractive proposition.
“You’ve got two French clubs as well, so there’s something to build on there, but we need to work out strategically how we pull all that together.
“If the clubs are left to their own devices, what’ll happen is again, everything is determined on self interest.
“We need to let the executives of the game get on and get to a position. They need to get the best deal on the table and then the clubs need to work out if it’s for them. If it’s not for them, there needs to be a very compelling reason why not.”