'My first question is, why?': Gallen, Gould clash over NRL's radical Super League bid
Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2024 8:14 am
League icon Phil Gould has revealed he's previously spoken to English Super League club owners about the NRL potentially buying the competition.
After the NRL's trip to Las Vegas to start its season earlier this year, reports have emerged around the organisation's interest in buying the Super League.
Earlier in the year, Gould said rugby league is on the "doorstep of greatness" as the game looks to grow in New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and across the world.
The Bulldogs football manager revealed he had club owners reach out to him after those comments.
I was contacted after those comments by several owners in the UK saying 'I think the NRL would be pushing against an open door if the NRL wanted to talk about that', not so much the administration there but certainly the club's themselves would love as much support as possible," he said on Nine's 100% Footy.
"The UK Super League is not doing as well financially as it possibly could and I think the game as a whole, we have an international board but it's rather a toothless tiger. It just sort of fills in with international football when it can and our calendar is getting so congested at the back end of the season, we're playing too many months of the year we need a rolling five year calendar for domestic rugby league, international rugby league and other forms of representative football right across the board.
"It can only be done if you've got one governing body for the lot."
Gould added he believes the NRL should be the "EPL (English Premier League) of world rugby league", suggesting there's a chance to "resurrect" the game in Great Britain and France.
The league legend also revealed he'd discussed with the Australian Rugby League commission about growing the international game, pleading with them to change their approach.
"It's not part of the NRL's charter. I remember when I spoke to the NRL's commission about this they said 'well international football's not our charter'," he said.
"I said 'change your charter' because unless you do it, international rugby league will never realise its full potential."
While Gould believes the NRL should purchase the Super League, Aussie great Paul Gallen wants to see the domestic scene prioritised.
"I've heard about this ... my first question is, why? Is it a business decision? Are they looking at being a business?" he questioned.
"... I think we should be shoring up our own shores here, putting the money back into grassroots footy.
"We had two years of COVID, then let me tell you this - we have junior league this year in my area anyway that have played about four or fives games.
"The grounds are terrible, put some money back into grassroots footy, build some grounds that have drainage so kids can play week in, week out. Put some money back into country rugby league, where's country rugby league at the moment? How's that going? From all reports it's not going too well.
"I'd be putting money back into country rugby league, there's been so many good players come from the country, let's give back to them.
"And what about clubs that develop talent? There's clubs that develop player talent, we should be giving money to them.
"They're the ones putting bums on seats because players are out there playing for clubs, I think we should be rewarding them, rewarding the clubs that develop the players."
Gould agreed "there's a lot of work that needs to be done" to improve the domestic rugby league scene.
https://www.nine.com.au/sport/nrl/news- ... 5jqdf.html
After the NRL's trip to Las Vegas to start its season earlier this year, reports have emerged around the organisation's interest in buying the Super League.
Earlier in the year, Gould said rugby league is on the "doorstep of greatness" as the game looks to grow in New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and across the world.
The Bulldogs football manager revealed he had club owners reach out to him after those comments.
I was contacted after those comments by several owners in the UK saying 'I think the NRL would be pushing against an open door if the NRL wanted to talk about that', not so much the administration there but certainly the club's themselves would love as much support as possible," he said on Nine's 100% Footy.
"The UK Super League is not doing as well financially as it possibly could and I think the game as a whole, we have an international board but it's rather a toothless tiger. It just sort of fills in with international football when it can and our calendar is getting so congested at the back end of the season, we're playing too many months of the year we need a rolling five year calendar for domestic rugby league, international rugby league and other forms of representative football right across the board.
"It can only be done if you've got one governing body for the lot."
Gould added he believes the NRL should be the "EPL (English Premier League) of world rugby league", suggesting there's a chance to "resurrect" the game in Great Britain and France.
The league legend also revealed he'd discussed with the Australian Rugby League commission about growing the international game, pleading with them to change their approach.
"It's not part of the NRL's charter. I remember when I spoke to the NRL's commission about this they said 'well international football's not our charter'," he said.
"I said 'change your charter' because unless you do it, international rugby league will never realise its full potential."
While Gould believes the NRL should purchase the Super League, Aussie great Paul Gallen wants to see the domestic scene prioritised.
"I've heard about this ... my first question is, why? Is it a business decision? Are they looking at being a business?" he questioned.
"... I think we should be shoring up our own shores here, putting the money back into grassroots footy.
"We had two years of COVID, then let me tell you this - we have junior league this year in my area anyway that have played about four or fives games.
"The grounds are terrible, put some money back into grassroots footy, build some grounds that have drainage so kids can play week in, week out. Put some money back into country rugby league, where's country rugby league at the moment? How's that going? From all reports it's not going too well.
"I'd be putting money back into country rugby league, there's been so many good players come from the country, let's give back to them.
"And what about clubs that develop talent? There's clubs that develop player talent, we should be giving money to them.
"They're the ones putting bums on seats because players are out there playing for clubs, I think we should be rewarding them, rewarding the clubs that develop the players."
Gould agreed "there's a lot of work that needs to be done" to improve the domestic rugby league scene.
https://www.nine.com.au/sport/nrl/news- ... 5jqdf.html
).