NIGEL Wood said many interesting things during his appearance on this week’s episode of The Bench podcast.
But when he wasn’t espousing his views on expanding the Betfred Super League or reciting spurious economic impact assessments, one line in particular stuck out.
Asked by Bench co-host Jenna Brooks whether there was anything rugby league could learn from other sports such as rugby union, the man overseeing the ongoing club-led strategic review began by answering around the context of the current British & Irish Lions tour in Australia only to pivot, without prompting, to the merits of the North American model.
- Big questions remain over Super League’s expansion to 14 teams
- Remembering Ray French
- Subscribe to rugbyleaguehub.com on YouTube
“There are lots of learnings from American sport,” Wood said.
“Learnings around closed leagues, about competition integrity and parity, and salary caps and those kind of issues – draft systems, lots of things like that.
“We have to learn how to apply those in our sport as best we can.”
It would be easy to dismiss this as just Wood speculating about possible options, but the fact he was very specific about some points indicates its something he has thought more deeply about if nothing else.
On the first point around closed leagues, it should be remember it was during Wood’s tenure as RFL chief executive that Super League went to a licensing model between 2009 and 2014.
The plans for two clubs to be promoted to an expanded 14-team Super League on the say-so of a supposedly independent panel for 2026 and no indication of what, if any, form of promotion and relegation will exist beyond that perhaps point to the direction of travel.
Let’s not forget what Wood said of licensing in 2008 as well: “We hope to capture all of the advantages of a closed competition like the NRL, without the disadvantages of having perennial under-performers that sometimes you get in a closed competition.”
The years have had their say on the accuracy of that prediction, just as they have on another concept mentioned specifically by Wood.
To bring up drafts unpromoted was especially unusual and given how the NFL draft in particular has grown to arguably the biggest non-event in sports which is recognised as an event, the temptation to think something similar could work in rugby league is understandable.
Those who know their rugby league history will, of course, point out that the sport has been here before.
It was for a sole season in the NRL’s forerunner, the NSWRL, in 1991 – and it was an unmitigated disaster.
There were several reasons for that, although one of the biggest ones was the players refused to give up their right to choose which club they signed for.
Of course, it could all just be Wood idly speculating – and there is no guarantee any of these proposals would pass votes by the clubs or the RFL Council if put forward either.
But strange things happen in rugby league – just look at the last six months, for starters.
And if someone who holds some very powerful positions in the sport is publicly talking about ideas like a draft which might be considered restraint of trade by a court, it is another warning to this country’s professional players they need to collectively organise for their own protection sooner rather than later.