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Find your Sport Nation frequency$3m a year for Cleary? Rebel league set to decimate NRL
SEN • July 17th, 2025 11:15 am
The NRL’s supply of superstar talent could soon be decimated if the proposed Saudi-backed rebel rugby competition gets the green light.
Reports this week suggest that Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is set to become the league’s first defector to the lucrative “Rugby 360” competition on a deal worth close to $1 million a season.
It is understood the creators behind R360 want to launch in September 2026 with a structure of 12 teams with a collective 300 players.
The concern among NRL figures is that if Tuivasa-Sheck can command seven figures at the age of 32, then the league’s younger stars could be poached on deals upward of $3 million a season.
Speculation about Nathan Cleary’s future has been rife all season with many suggesting a switch of codes is the right next step for the Panthers star.
Corey Parker believes the rebel competition has the potential to destroy the NRL.
“This rebel competition is threatening to steal a lot of stars out of the NRL," Parker said on SENQ Breakfast.
“I have always been adamant about – we saw SBW leave to go to rugby, there’s always been players leave to rugby.
“We jump up and down about it and say we need to keep them. The game is like a big wheel – it will keep turning with or without you.
“But this R360, which is still yet to get off the ground, it is set to diminish and take away some of our superstars of the game. My question is, which NRL players would you target to go cross code for this competition in Saudi Arabia?
“RTS overnight, he has been in union for a couple of years. Now back playing for the Warriors. He has presented a fair bit of interest that he wants to go over and could command $1 million.
“Then you’ve got (Kalyn) Ponga, (Ryan) Papenhuyzen has made mention it’s on his horizon. We were talking before that it will be fine, but if they go for six or 10 players then it might not be.
“We’re trying to get two more teams up and running, that means you need another 60 players minimum.
“If you’re pulling away some of our superstars, let’s say a Cleary, we have spoken about him playing union, what if this 360 throws a $3 million deal at Cleary?
“He has the currency for union. Why wouldn’t he go and play union for $3 million a year?
“There’s a real concern if this gets off the ground.”
