LUKE Keary regrets how his criticisms of Super League came across, but the former Catalans Dragons halfback stands by his views on the state of the competition.
The former South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters star caused a stir with his trenchant views on what he saw in the Northern Hemisphere in an explosive interview with Nine Wide World of Sports in May.
Keary’s comment drew plenty of backlash and resulted in a £1,000 fine – half of which was suspended – for breaching the RFL’s Operational Rules, although he had plenty of sympathisers too and insists his motivations for speaking out were for the betterment of Super League.
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“It was probably the way I said it, that it came out,” Keary told The Bye Round podcast. “It was a mistake the way it came out – the conversation was silly – but I stand by a the points inside it.
“I’ve watched the Super League since I was a kid, you watch all those NRL boys go over there and play, and you kind of admire it from afar, but I had no idea about how it was run or any of the intricacies inside…and it was just a huge shock to me what was going on over there and what people were putting up with.
“The way it came across, I really regret that. The things inside it, I think they were right from my point of view.
“There’s so many small wins they could have really quickly just with the product of the game, how it’s played on the field, how they treat their fans, how they get that game on TV with a better package.”
Along with his desire to see an improvement in the broadcast product currently offered by Sky Sports and the BBC, Keary cited the way former club Catalans are handicapped in having to pay for other clubs’ travel to the south of France as a source of frustration.
He recalled a conversation with Wigan Warriors CEO Kris Radlinski when the then-reigning Super League champions were in Perpignan to play the Dragons, around the lack of information available while the clubs were voting to expand the competition to 14 teams for 2026 too.
Australian Rugby League Commission and NRL executive Peter V’landys‘ recent comments on the state of rugby league in the UK served to strengthen Keary’s views as well.
The former Ireland international, who is currently back with the Roosters helping them prepare for the 2026 NRL season, also believes NRL involvement would only benefit the sport in the Northern Hemisphere.
“I think it would be great for the game and great for English rugby league [if the NRL take over],” Keary said. “Those players will be playing in a better competition with one single governing body which controls it all.
“Both TV deals will probably end up packaged up together so they’re not going to be struggling with a TV deal which is going backwards.
“The NRL will probably financially prop them up for a period of time and I think they’ll do good things to the product of the game.
“The value of the teams is going to go up…and things are moving up in Australia, so I think it will be great for everyone over there.”