BY JOHN DAVIDSON
South Sydney Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly says Super League needs more money, energy and profile to thrive, and insists an NRL partnership with the European competition would be great for rugby league.
Solly spent seven years with the RFL and left his post as Super League general manager in 2016 to join the Bunnies.
He and Wests Tigers boss Shane Richardson have been advising the NRL about Super League and how an official link-up with the competition could take place.
“Richo [Shane Richardson] and I, as Richo spent a long time in the UK and I did, we know the game over there pretty well,” he told Hello Sport podcast.
“So Andrew [Abdo] and Peter [V’landys] have been kind enough to get our opinions on whether we think it’s a good idea and what the approach should be. We’re both really supportive.
“A lot of the progressive clubs over there are really supportive as well. I think it’s a huge opportunity to put NRL and Super League together.
“It’s a compelling TV product over there and here, and if we’re more aligned, not only in terms of calendar but in terms of clubs and the international game, then it’s a real opportunity to give the sport some more energy and enthusiasm over there. That’s what it needs.
“There’s some big competitors – the Premier League, cricket, rugby union over there – so any help we can give to the Super League competition is going to be good.”
Solly believes there are several things Super League needs to improve and grow.
“It probably needs a little bit of money,” he said.
“The TV deal isn’t as lucrative as it used to be and it probably just needs some energy and enthusiasm, and probably a bit of Peter’s dynamism and wanting to get things done.
“And overriding some of the club interests that have controlled the game there for a long period of time. If it can get that enthusiasm then there’s a real market for it.
“You only have to look at how quickly the Kangaroos tickets sold. When you’re selling out Everton and doing really well at Wembley, that shows you that there’s a real latent fanbase for rugby league in the UK.
“And if the Super League competition has a bit more energy about it, and has a bit better profile, the fans will come.”
Reports and talk of an NRL takeover have been around for several months, but publicly nothing has progressed. There appears to be some opposition in the British game to NRL involvement.
However, Solly believes a partnership with Super League is “very realistic”.
“I know the conversations we had with Super League clubs when we were in Vegas they were very open to the idea,” he said.
“I suspect later on in the year, to be fair to Peer and Andrew they’ve had a lot on with PNG and Perth, once they give it the time and opportunity to give it some more consideration I think it’s a big chance of happening and I think it will be great for the game.
“Everyone wants the game to succeed over there. A lot of us CEOs, coaches, have had experiences over there. We want it to work, we want it to be better, and whatever that looks like no one probably knows for sure.
“But we do know if Peter and Andrew take hold of it, it’s something worth considering.”
Global television rights are a key factor in any potential partnership.
“At Super League I went to France to try and sell rugby league TV rights and went to America to sell rugby league rights and the feedback from all of them was if you put international rugby league, the NRL and Super League in one package, you’ve got something we can buy.
“But at the moment it’s just one competition, another competition and some international games that no one really knows when and where they’re going to take place every year.
“So put them all together and the US market and the French market becomes really attractive.”