R360’s demise could make for one big winner in NRL
Scott Bailey |
Perth could emerge as the big beneficiaries of R360’s failure to launch, easing pressure on the player market and potentially adding two top-tier options for 2027.
The NRL’s cold war with the rebel rugby competition was officially ended on Friday night, with R360 bosses confirming its launch had been pushed back until 2028.
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys immediately confirmed to AAP that Zac Lomax and Ryan Papenhuyzen were able to return, after being linked to R360.
Whether either do immediately remains to be seen, but R360’s 2026 demise is already a positive for the Bears.
Perth are yet to land a significant blow in the player market, and the threat of stars leaving the NRL and even marginally weakening the talent pool was less than ideal.
The demise of R360 should at least restore some normality back to the market, while adding serious questions over the viability of a new 2028 launch date.
There also remains the potential of the Bears making a play for rugby union talent both in Australia and abroad, with one less threat in R360 now gone.
Lomax and Papenhuyzen share the same manager in Clinton Schifcofske and were both in talks with R360 before exiting their NRL clubs in the past two months.
But the pair’s situations are somewhat different.
Lomax still had three years to run on his Parramatta contract, worth close to $700,000 a season, when released a fortnight ago.
Part of his exit included a clause that stopped him playing for an NRL rival until his initial Eels deal expired at the end of 2028.
The NSW State of Origin winger could pursue overseas rugby as he was expected to do in the time before R360’s intended October 2026 launch.
But he may not immediately command the same money he did in the NRL.
If Parramatta decide they have moved on with salary-cap space cleared, Lomax could still play for another club if an agreement is reached with the Eels.
Papenhuyzen’s situation is less clear, after exiting the final year of his Melbourne deal to reconsider his future in professional sport.
The Storm have long maintained they do not expect Papenhuyzen to play anywhere next season, but there is nothing stopping him featuring in either code at any time.
The former Melbourne No.1 said in May he could see the genuine lure in playing for the Bears, even if a cross-country move to Perth might deter some.
“It would be tough, but I think there’s also an appeal of a foundation club,” Papenhuyzen said at the time.
“You don’t get many opportunities to do that. I don’t think it would be too big of an issue to attract players.”
R360 officials said the decision to postpone the tournament was to allow for “stronger market conditions (and) greater commercial certainty”.
The abandoned launch means Payne Haas is likely to remain in Brisbane for 2027, after also being the target of a big-money pitch from the rebel competition.
The news will be a relief to the NRL, but not a shock given they had accused the competition of “counterfeiting a code” and offering no financial security.
“Naturally Ryan and Zac are most welcome to come back,” V’landys told AAP on Friday night.
“They were just victims of the mirage.
“(It’s) no surprise. Their current business model was never going to work. It’s a shame so many people were hoodwinked.”
AAP
