Rugby Australia can’t afford to contract key Wallabies, let alone target NRL stars

Rugby Australia has been linked with premier NRL talent like Nathan Cleary and Payne Haas, but there’s only one way the cash-strapped code can deliver on any poaching mission.

If Nathan Cleary and Payne Haas want to switch codes and play for the Wallabies for $300,000 a year, Rugby Australia would gladly have them.

That is the only way rugby will be able to afford any NRL stars in the near future, because the game is so cash-strapped they can’t even make offers to their top Wallabies stars.

Mind you, RA has not made any statement or claim that they are targeting NRL stars. It was thrown out as a possibility by former chairman Hamish McLennan, who is not involved in any contractual decision making.

Len Ikitau, the man who starred at Twickenham and made Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s debut look easy, is off contract after next season and will demand major dollars in Europe and Japan.

RA is facing an uphill battle to retain him for the 2027 World Cup.

But he is just one of numerous off-contract Wallabies who have yet to receive an offer from their employer beyond 2025.

Fraser McReight, Taniela Tupou, Noah Lolesio, Harry Wilson, Jake Gordon, Tom Wright, Nick Frost, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Langi Gleeson, Isaac Kailea, Carlo Tizzano, Rob Leota and Tane Edmed are among those waiting for a call.

It won’t be coming anytime soon.

Len Ikitau, who was outstanding for the Wallabies in their historic win against England, is one of a plethora of Australian internationals off-contract after next season. Picture: Getty Images

Or at least not until RA can finalise a new broadcast deal.

They desperately need an uplift on the $30 million they currently receive from Nine and Stan Sport, but negotiations between the two parties are slow-moving at best.

They have an exclusive negotiation period until December 31, after which RA can go the open market. But the fear is if they can’t get a deal locked away with Nine by the end of he year and look elsewhere, offers may be slim at best.

And a major reason for this is that broadcasters are crunching numbers to make a major play for the NRL rights, which expire at the end of 2027 and is already worth $1.7 billion.

Nine owns the free television rights while Foxtel – owned by News Corp, publisher of this masthead – owns the pay television element shown on Fox Sports and Kayo Sport.

Nathan Cleary has been the driving force behind the Panthers’ four consecutive NRL premierships. Picture: Getty Images

Payne Haas is a NSW State of Origin player and consistently among the Broncos’ best in the NRL.

The next NRL deal is expected to fetch more than its current value given the competition is adding more teams, coupled with growing popularity, which means Foxtel, Nine, other free-to-air networks and streaming services will need to dig deep into their pockets, leaving little money for rugby.

Nine and Stan have already secured rights to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, so have less incentive to pay millions more.

And RA have already spent more than $50 million of their $80 million debt facility loan, which they expect to service through revenue from the 2025 British & Irish Lions series and home World Cup two years later.

For now, there is little in reserve. They’ve started a Future Fund, hoping to lure investors to commit money into the game at all levels. So far they’ve got $12 million, with grand visions of raising up to $1 billion.

That won’t be happening anytime soon, certainly not before the likes of Cleary and Haas are past their best football.

Wallabies star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii beats England rival Ollie Sleightholme to set up a try for Tom Wright. Picture: Getty Images

RA is forking out $5.35 million for Suaalii over the next three years, and have already seen key talent like Mark Nawaqanitawase, Carter Gordon, Jordan Petaia, Suliasi Vunivalu, Izaia Perese, Ned Hanigan, Lachie Swinton, Jordan Uelese and Josh Kemeny defect in the past year.

More than half the players who helped Australia claim a famous victory at Twickenham last weekend are weighing up defections to overseas rugby or the NRL.

The notion RA can throw mountains of cash at league’s best players is ludicrous.