McManus urges partnership approach to NRL Super League investment

St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus has urged rugby league officials in Britain and Australia to pursue a collaborative global partnership as discussions continue over potential investment in Super League. BBC Sport reported that McManus wants the two competitions to work together to expand the sport rather than frame the process as one organisation rescuing or absorbing the other.

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Super League confirmed earlier in August that it had received an investment offer from the Australian Rugby League Commission, which oversees the NRL. According to the BBC, discussions between the parties have been under way since last year, with the Australian body proposing to help increase revenue for the European competition. No completed agreement or valuation was reported.

McManus told BBC Radio Merseyside that the NRL is the world’s most successful rugby league club competition, while acknowledging that the European game has not always been managed well. He argued, however, that Australia’s geography and economy could limit its avenues for further expansion, while Europe offers significant potential if both sides combine their strengths.

The Rugby Football League also confirmed its interest in the talks. In a statement reported by the BBC, RFL managing director Rhodri Jones said the governing body was exploring a mutually beneficial and financially fair partnership with the NRL. Jones said the RFL believes a single global entity could create additional value for the sport. The BBC said it had contacted the NRL for comment.

McManus accepted that the proposed relationship would not be a partnership of equals because of rugby league’s much larger profile in Australia. His central case was that the parties should first agree on a cooperative model before deciding how the European game should be valued, how much funding it needs and what terms clubs should accept.

The St Helens chairman also connected his confidence in international cooperation to his club’s appointment of Kevin Walters as head coach for next season. Walters, 58, is currently Australia’s head coach and has previously led the Brisbane Broncos and Queensland. He is due to take charge after a turbulent period in which St Helens have had four coaches within a year, including current interim boss Eamon O’Carroll, while the club remains at risk of missing the Super League play-offs for the first time.