The NRL will use its venture into Perth to target South African rugby union players to fill several spots on the Bears’ roster from 2027.
With the NRL on the verge of formally announcing a deal with the Western Australian government in the next week, the governing body has revealed its desire to make inroads into the union-mad South Africa.
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys confirmed the NRL had been inundated with interest from rugby union agents trying to cash in on the game’s expected venture into the west coast of Australia.
While the big-name stars are well paid, most players in South Africa wouldn’t earn the money on offer in the NRL, which adds to the appeal.
“Since the speculation of the Bears team in Western Australia, we’ve been inundated by agents and by other parties wanting to tell me the opportunities of having South African rugby union players and how they would adapt to rugby league,” V’landys said.
The Springboks players will become a target for the NRL.Credit: Getty Images
“But also it could open up a new market in South Africa because it’s got over 70 million people. So it could be a dual win in the sense that we could get some very, very good players but also get a new market in South Africa.”
The Australian Rugby League Commission has identified both South Africa and Argentina as target markets as it attempts to find 60 new players to fill teams in Perth and Papua New Guinea in 2027 and 2028 respectively.
It is an 11-hour direct flight from Perth to Johannesburg, adding to the appeal of the potential venture into South Africa.
Mark Nawaqanitawase has been a revelation for the Sydney Roosters since joining the club from rugby union at the end of last year, increasing the NRL’s belief that the sport can transform players from the rival code into rugby league stars.
“We’ve never been concerned about the talent depth,” V’landys said. “We believe that the supply will meet the demand and open up opportunities for players coming through the pathways.”
‘We need him’: Luai reflects on Galvin’s Tigers return
Jarome Luai insists he has put any angst towards Lachlan Galvin behind him for the better of the team, admitting he’s learned some valuable lessons as a leader during the past fortnight.
After Saturday night’s win against the Dragons, Luai addressed the Galvin situation for the first time since he and Api Koroisau addressed the media and admitted they hadn’t spoken with the under-fire playmaker in the aftermath of his decision to reject the Tigers.
While Luai wasn’t critical of Galvin’s decision to leave, he took offence to what he described at the time as Galvin disrespecting coach Benji Marshall.
The Tigers have since welcomed Galvin back to the NRL team after the senior players encouraged Marshall to send him back to NSW Cup.
“This is business, bra,” Luai said. “We’re all grown men here and we have a job to do. I’ve obviously stuffed up in the past and said things that people don’t agree with, but I’m always going to back myself at the end of the day. With my social media post, I thought it was the right thing to do.
Lachlan Galvin and Jarome Luai on Sunday.Credit: Steven Siewert
“That’s the culture we’re building here, and if you’re not buying into that then you need to rethink that because we’re building a team-first culture here. We’re building something special. We’re going to keep going with that.”
The club’s marquee signing said he had had to put his personal feelings aside to ensure Galvin feels part of the team.
“With him in the team, it makes the team better,” Luai said. “We need him to be at his best. We want him to be at his best because he brings a lot to this team. This is business. We have a job to do out there. For our team to be at our best, he needs to be part of this team. Whatever has happened in the past has happened. Now we’re looking to bigger and better things.
“This is business and we have a job to do. Our job is to get results. We’re not going to get results if we don’t have connection as a team. We don’t have to all be best mates, but we need to have a connection. It’s water under a bridge, bra. We move on. We enjoy playing the game.”
Luai has been at the centre of plenty of controversy throughout his career. He knows what it is like to feel like the world is against you and conceded that his prior experiences had helped him reflect on the situation differently once the emotion was taken out of it.
“I’ve had a few years in the league now,” he said. “I know my role and responsibility is to do what’s best for the team. As captain, it’s a bit of unknown waters for me. I’m still learning along the way but I’m enjoying the process. I play this game to win. Before I take the field I always have the mindset of ‘I’m going to win tonight’. I think if I ever lose that, it will be when I don’t want to play any more.
“Every time I take the field with my brothers, I’m coming to win. I hope that spreads among my team and they feel that vibe from me. That’s a trait that I bring, and I never want to lose that.”
Luai is in a three-way battle with Mitchell Moses and Nathan Cleary for two positions in the NSW halves for this year’s State of Origin.
His role at the Tigers is different to the one that he is likely to play for NSW if he is chosen for the opening game of the series in Brisbane on May 28, but knows that he can adjust to suit the needs of the team.
“If that opportunity comes I’m ready for it,” he said. “You know what I’m like in that arena. I enjoy the battle. I enjoy the challenge. It sounds pretty cliched, but I’m locked in to what I’m doing here. If that opportunity comes, it will come because I deserve it. Whatever happens, happens. I’m a role player. I’m a team player. Whatever role I’m in, I’ll always do what’s best for the team.”
Congratulations to the ground staff
The effort of the ground staff at Suncorp Stadium needs to be acknowledged. They worked around the clock to get the relayed surface up to standard. The main groundsman didn’t finish work until 2am on the morning leading into the women’s State of Origin game on Thursday. He slept in his office and was back to work at 6am.
Under the knife
Manly coach Anthony Seibold spent some time in hospital during the bye round. He used the break this week to undergo Achilles surgery on a long-standing issue.
Wedding bells for Crichton
Congratulations to Angus Crichton, who on Monday will get married to partner Chloe Esegbona. Crichton’s comeback from the most severe of mental health issues is nothing short of remarkable and his relationship with Esegbona has been key to his recovery.
He will use the bye round for the Sydney Roosters this week to tie the knot and celebrate his marriage.
Roosters return for finals
The Sydney Roosters team, staff and directors flew out of Brisbane early Saturday morning to return to Sydney. The team wanted to get home in time to attend the club’s SG Ball grand final against the Parramatta Eels and women’s Lisa Fiaola grand final (under-17s) at Leichhardt Oval.
It’s a great show of support from a club that prides itself on a whole-of-club culture. The Roosters scored two tries in the dying minutes to take the match into extra-time, with young halfback sensation Toby Rodwell leading his team to victory.
You can see why he is so highly regarded by the Tricolours, who see him as a long-term playmaker at the club. Unfortunately the Roosters lost to Parramatta in the Lisa Fiaola decider.
Big names among the ball kids
Dane Gagai celebrated his 200th NRL game on Saturday and the Knights made it a special occasion by allowing his son to be one of the ball kids for the match. Aaron Woods’ son Buster was also one of the ball kids.
No celebrations
Which club didn’t allow their players out on the town on Saturday night despite claiming a victory earlier in the day?
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