Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) chairman Peter V’Landys has hit back at critics of the NRL’s decision to impose ten-year bans on any players or agents who sign with, or even negotiate terms alongside, the unrecognised R360 competition.
The ruling, unveiled last week, has sparked debate over whether the league can legally bar players from returning to NRL or ARLC-sanctioned competitions, but V’Landys insists the policy will stand up in court.
Speaking to Nine’s Today Show, V’Landys said the ban was both legally sound and morally necessary. “Look, we won’t do anything without getting it tested legally, ourselves. We’re very confident in our legal position,” he said.
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“We, as the custodians of the game, have a very important duty to protect it, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Not only are we protecting the game, but we’re protecting the players against themselves.”
‘Fly-by-nighters’ looking to exploit players
The R360 project, backed by Saudi Arabian investors, has reportedly been offering lucrative deals to NRL players. But V’Landys dismissed the venture as unstable, warning that players risked being “exploited” or left unpaid.
“These are fly-by-nighters and they’re going to exploit them and then [they] may not possibly get paid,” he said. “They could go a season or two seasons without being paid and lose that prime position of their life.”
While the NRL confirmed it has discretion to lift bans in exceptional cases, no framework for such decisions has yet been outlined.