Ponga's big call as rebel league looms

Perth Now

17-07-2025

Warriors chief executive Cameron George concedes the threat of rugby's breakaway competition R360 poaching players on lucrative deals is real, but he laughed off suggestions that it could tear apart rugby league.
The comments come on the back of reports Warriors superstar Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has been offered $1m a season to sign up, sparking speculation they could go after Nathan Cleary on a deal that would blow that figure out of the water.
Newcastle star Kalyn Ponga has also been listed as a target amid reports he was looking at a rugby switch but he ruled out any move until 2028 with a firm commitment to the Knights on Thursday until the end of his current deal.
'Committed to the end of 2027,' Ponga posted on Instagram.
'Excited about the vision of the club. Appreciate those that support me!' Kalyn Ponga commits to Newcastle on Instagram. Credit: Supplied
While Ponga is staying, no NRL club could compete financially if R360 offered the four-time premiership-winning halfback a deal worth $3m a year – a sum Broncos legend Corey Parker mentioned on radio on Thursday morning.
It's still unclear exactly what the competition would look like, but early reports suggest it would feature 12 teams and be played all over the world with the backing of Saudi Arabia.
'This rebel competition is threatening to steal a lot of stars out of the NRL,' Parker said on SENQ Breakfast, with Ponga and Ryan Papenhuyzen also mentioned as possible targets.
'I have always been adamant about – we saw SBW (Sonny Bill Williams) leave to go to rugby, there's always been players leave to rugby. Nathan Cleary would be an obvious target for the new R360 league. NRL Photos Credit: Supplied
'We jump up and down about it and say we need to keep them. The game is like a big wheel – it will keep turning with or without you.
'But this R360, which is still yet to get off the ground, it is set to diminish and take away some of our superstars of the game. My question is, which NRL players would you target to go cross code for this competition in Saudi Arabia?
'RTS overnight, he has been in union for a couple of years. Now back playing for the Warriors. He has presented a fair bit of interest that he wants to go over and could command $1m.
'If you're pulling away some of our superstars, let's say a Cleary, we have spoken about him playing union, what if this 360 throws a $3 million deal at Cleary?
'He has the currency for union. Why wouldn't he go and play union for $3m a year?
'There's a real concern if this gets off the ground.'
George hasn't sat down with Tuivasa-Sheck to discuss his future yet, with the Warriors boss warning other clubs that they should be prepared for their star players to be offered life-changing sums of money.
'There are a lot of sports and a lot of innovations around sport that come around from time to time,' he said on SEN.
'Being over here in New Zealand where rugby is very big, I've been hearing a lot over the last month in particular about Rugby 360 getting off the ground and the discussions they're having with any number of rugby players.
'I've heard, quite frankly, that a number of our major names in rugby league would be a target to them as well. I get that because they're a PR machine and they'd be great for their sport.
'I think it's real, but is it going to tear apart rugby league? Absolutely not. We've got the greatest game in the world.
'However, I'm sure they'll come knocking and cause some clubs some headaches with the financial windfalls on offer.'