Peter V’landys declares proposed 10-year bans for R360 are legal, with NRL and NRLW defectors equally at risk

As the rebel rugby competition ramps up its pursuit of Australian talent, Peter V’landys is confident in the legality of the decade-long bans being threatened to NRL and NRLW stars.

ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys believes Broncos superstar Payne Haas will stay loyal to rugby league as he blasted suggestions the NRL doesn’t have the power to enforce a 10-year ban for R360 defectors.

V’landys has doubled down on the NRL’s virtual lifetime suspension for rugby league’s R360 recruits and welcomed any opponent prepared to legally challenge the 10-year ban in a court of law.

V’landys is set to hold talks with Haas in coming days, when the prop returns from a family holiday in Fiji, and is confident the Broncos premiership winner will see the risks of defecting to rugby’s rebel league.

There is a view the NRL can’t legally enforce a 10-year ban, given that no such clause exists in the code’s current player contract, but V’landys said he won’t go soft on potential R360 defectors such as Haas, Zac Lomax and Ryan Papenhuyzen.

“It’s amazing how many expert lawyers have come out of the woodwork, there’s 100 Dennis Denutos out there thinking they know the law,” said the ARLC boss, referring to the bumbling fictional lawyer in the hit Australian movie The Castle.

V’Landys and the NRL are not afraid to take on R360 in court. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“They can take us on legally.

“We welcome it, because we are comfortable with our legal position.

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

“It (the 10-year 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.

“I have said we will ban players and agents for 10 years and what we promise, we follow through on.”

The Broncos have tabled a $3.5 million-plus offer for Haas to stay at Red Hill until at least the end of 2029, money that is guaranteed given the financial security of the NRL and its next TV rights deal, which could be north of $3 billion.

A free agent, the 25-year-old Haas is off-contract at the end of next season.

The Broncos want a definitive answer from Haas before Christmas to plan for their 2026 premiership defence and V’landys will have a conversation with the NSW Origin champion to outline the benefits of staying in Brisbane.

Just a fortnight ago, R360 negotiators were confident they had all-but sealed Haas’ signature, but V’landys believes the Samoan Test star won’t chase what has been described by Broncos boss Dave Donaghy as “fool’s gold”.

“I believe Payne Haas will stay in the NRL because, firstly, they (R360) won’t pay him upfront,” he said.

Haas’ footy future is still unclear. Picture: NRL photos

“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.

“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.”

Lomax has been linked to French and Japanese rugby and V’landys said the former Eels winger will not be banned for 10 years if he signs with a recognised rugby competition overseas.

“I have no issue with our players going between sanctioned rugby league and rugby union competitions,” he 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.

“If this one falls over and another one comes along, the ban will apply to any pirates who pop up and try to steal our intellectual property.

“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.”

NRLW R360 DEFECTORS ALSO FACING DECADE BAN

- Pamela Whaley

NRLW players tempted by the big money on offer from R360 will risk the same sanctions handed to their male counterparts as figures emerge of the staggering dollars up for grabs in the unsanctioned rugby competition.

The figures dwarf contract values of NRLW players, and it’s rumoured R360 is prepared to offer female players between $110,000 to $150,000 US for an eight-week competition starting at the end of 2026.

It means players contemplating a risk on the rebel competition could stand to earn up to five times the amount of a minimum wage NRLW salary, which will be $46,200 in 2026.

But for big money, it would also be the end of their NRLW career.

The NRL has confirmed their hard line stance will apply to NRLW stars too, with a 10-year-ban to any player who negotiates, signs or enters into a letter of intent or playing contract, verbal or written, with a competition not recognised by the ARLC.

So far Sydney Roosters star Jess Sergis is the only female player rumoured to have attracted attention from R360, but others are on the radar with an aggressive push to find the best female football talent in the world.

Sergis was the first woman’s player to be named as a target for R360.

A poaching raid has already begun in the NRL, with Zac Lomax, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Payne Haas all linked to the a potential code switch.

While details are vague, it’s believed organisers have proposed four women’s teams to compete in a round robin tournament starting in October next year.

Currently NRLW players are semi-professional athletes and their season runs from pre-season in around April to the grand final in October.

The time in between is an inactive period, with clubs largely given the power to approve players to take up rival sports and maximise earning potential and sporting opportunities during their down time.

However, the NRL will attempt to put a stop to that where R360 is concerned.

In a statement released in mid-October, ARLC chairman Peter V’landys said, “We will take the necessary steps to protect the future of the game. Unfortunately, there will always be organisations that seek to pirate our game for potential financial gain. They don’t invest in pathways or the development of players — they simply exploit the hard work of others, putting players at risk of financial loss while profiting themselves. They are, in reality, counterfeiting a code. Accordingly if it all goes wrong it’s the players who suffer most. Every stakeholder must be accountable to the standards our fans expect. We’ve listened to our clubs, and we’ve acted decisively.”

Originally published as Peter V’landys declares proposed 10-year bans for R360 are legal, with NRL and NRLW defectors equally at risk