{"id":750426,"date":"2026-06-21T08:05:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T08:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/750426\/"},"modified":"2026-06-21T08:05:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T08:05:08","slug":"from-the-ring-to-robots-anthony-mundines-ai-gamble-on-the-future-of-nrl-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/750426\/","title":{"rendered":"From the ring to robots: Anthony Mundine\u2019s AI gamble on the future of NRL analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former NRL<\/a> star and boxer Anthony Mundine is backing a bold new push into sports technology, investing in an artificial intelligence robotics company aiming to reshape how rugby league is analysed and coached.<\/p>\n

Australian AI tech firm Prenten AI, alongside Mundine, has unveiled \u201cK9\u201d \u2014 a four-legged robot valued at around $150,000, designed to capture advanced performance data and deliver real-time insights for elite sport.<\/p>\n

Mundine and his MGM co-founder Daher received delivery of their K9 robot from the United States a fortnight ago and are now preparing to engage with coaches across the NRL<\/a>, AFL<\/a>, cricket and soccer to explore how the technology can be integrated into training environments and match preparation.<\/p>\n

The pair, through Mundine’s Indigenous-owned company MGM and business partner Gosh Daher, have already begun approaching NRL<\/a> clubs, including the Brisbane Broncos<\/a>, St. George Illawarra Dragons and Canterbury Bulldogs<\/a> to pitch what they believe is a new frontier in AI-assisted coaching.<\/p>\n

The technology itself is designed to go far beyond traditional analysis tools. The K9 robots are capable of running at speeds comparable to Usain Bolt’s 100-metre record pace, completing the distance in under 10 seconds. They can also perform backflips while carrying high-definition cameras capable of producing specialised 3D imagery of on-field action.<\/p>\n

Integrated GPS tracking and biometric monitoring systems are also built into the unit, allowing coaches to track player fatigue, workload, and rehabilitation progress with a level of detail not previously available in team sport environments.<\/p>\n

Mundine says the project stems from his long-standing understanding of in-game decision-making at the elite level.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ve spent my whole life reading opponents, reading teammates and reading the game in real time,\u201d Mundine said to the Sydney Morning Herald.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve spent more than a year working on how this technology can capture those moments and give coaches information they’ve never had before.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn’t about replacing coaching instinct.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s about giving coaches another tool to make better decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

From a technical standpoint, Prenten AI co-founder Sally Walkom believes the innovation could become a \u201cgame changer\u201d for rugby league coaches.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea is they carry cameras, and what we are proposing to do is use them in sport to capture a really rich data set around where the players and the ball are on the field in 3D,\u201d Walkom said to the Sydney Morning Herald.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat can be used by coaches to understand how players are interacting with each other at any given time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s different to standard cameras because they capture 2D images, but this can provide a 3D depiction.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust as wearing an Apple watch has given us data on our lives and daily health, this technology can provide biometric data for individuals who may be returning from injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis can absolutely help NRL<\/a> teams. It’s another layer of data.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prenten AI CEO Perumal described the system as a potential turning point in sports analytics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis can be the Moneyball effect,\u201d Perumal said to the Sydney Morning Herald.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe there is currently a lot of visual data that’s not being captured by sporting teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor example, you can have 3D images of how the winger and fullback are positioned and even kicking data for halfbacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are the Dragons today, how do you compete with the Panthers, who have a great grassroots system?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daher believes the technology could ultimately help reshape competitive balance across the league.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is in the embryonic stage for sports analysis,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve been looking for the right technology to bring to clubs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re in conversations with clubs across NRL<\/a>, AFL<\/a>, cricket and tennis, and the interest has been immediate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis fills a gap that coaches have been trying to solve for years.\u201d<\/p>\n

As clubs continue to understand new technology and the evolving pace of the modern game, the AI robots could reshape sports analysis and how the game is ultimately played.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former NRL star and boxer Anthony Mundine is backing a bold new push into sports technology, investing in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":750427,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[256,254,255,64,63,105],"class_list":["post-750426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-artificial-intelligence","tag-ai","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-artificialintelligence","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/750426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=750426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/750426\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/750427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=750426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=750426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=750426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}