V'landys warns league is headed for a financial "train wreck"

NRL chairman Peter V’landys has issued a sobering warning to the UK Super League saying it is heading for a “train crash” if it doesn’t get its revenue strategy in order.

V’landys, who is currently in the UK for the Ashes series between the Kangaroos and England, used the trip to hold talks with a number of domestic league clubs and officials from the RFL.

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC, V’landys explained that the game needed an urgent restructure when it comes to governance and safeguarding the financial future of the game if it is going to be able to support expansion from 10 to 14 teams.

"All we've done is analyse the financial viability and I can see a train crash if they don't get the broadcast revenue they need to sustain a 14-team competition," he said.

"And it all comes back to the finances, and that's because eventually people will stop wanting to put money in their pockets and sustain losses, and that's what they're going to be doing in the short term, unless they can increase their revenue from broadcast."

According to the BBC, V’landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo met with RFL officials as well as the owners of Warrington, Wigan and Hull FC.

The NRL is currently enjoying record TV audiences and commercial revenue, with V’landys bold ideas like starting the season in Las Vegas adding to an impressive list of how he’s leading an evolution.

It was during this year’s trip to Vegas, which featured a UK league clash between Warrington and Wigan, that V’landys floated the idea of the NRL buying a percentage of the Super League.

“We could. That's an option, if that's what they want us to do,” he told the BBC.

"There has to be structural corporate governance change for that to happen. You need an independent body to operate the competition and that's one of the reasons Australia has been so successful in rugby league. It's totally independent.

"You've got to have independent decision making, because (it) always acts in the best interests of the game as a whole, and not for individual interest groups.

"We're just here out of loyalty to Mike Danson and Simon Moran to listen, and if there is a way we can help, we will help. But we're not here to force ourselves on anyone or be part of anything. We're here to listen and hopefully be able to assist."