Peter V’landys is adamant any ban enforced to R360 defectors will stick, stating the NRL’s “legal position is strong”.

The ARL Commission boss hasn’t baulked once on his stance to punish those NRL players for who sign with rebel union comp R360 with a ten year NRL ban.

No one has yet to put pen to paper on R360 deals, but two players long rumoured to be linked to the breakaway league in Zac Lomax and Ryan Papenhuyzen have both granted early releases from their NRL contracts.

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Broncos star Payne Haas has also been heavily rumoured as another player set to make the switch but he’s still under contract at Red Hill for now, but V’landys says he thinks Haas will stay put.

“Payne hopefully will be the first smart one to make sure he gets paid upfront because I don’t think they will be paid upfront,” V’landys told Code Sports.

“I believe he will stay because when he does his due diligence, he will see the business model of this competition doesn’t stack up.”

There have been suggestions that the NRL aren’t able to enforce such a ban to players who defect, especially those who a granted releases from their deal.

However, V’landys says the ban will apply to any player who ends up signing with R360, no matter the circumstances.

“They can take us on legally. We welcome it, because we are comfortable with our legal position,” V’landys said.

“Any player who signs with R360 will be banned for 10 years, simple as that.

“The ban is absolutely enforceable. Our legal position is strong. We have consulted our legal team. We wouldn’t have announced this ban unless we had solid legal vision.

“As custodians of the game, we have to act, we have to protect the game and the fans.

“I will not take a backward step in protecting the game and the fans … full stop.”

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While Papenhuyzen’s future in professional sport is uncertain, Lomax has hired a European agent in order to open up opportunities overseas before the R360 comp is set to start late next year.

V’landys says that Lomax will be able to return to the NRL whenever he likes if he has a stint in a sanctioned rugby union competition but bypasses R360.

I have no issue with our players going between sanctioned rugby league and rugby union competitions,” V’landys said.

“It’s the ones that conceive a competition to make money without being aligned to any official governing body. This 10-year ban doesn’t just apply to R360, it will apply to any other start-up rebel league that comes along.”