McDermott urges Super League to accept NRL investment amid stalled talks

England head coach Brian McDermott urged Super League to accept investment from Australia's NRL on 22 October 2026, amid ongoing negotiations after clubs rejected a £35m package from the Australian Rugby League Commission. McDermott, who is also the assistant coach of the Gold Coast Titans, said the proposed funding could be "very, very positive."

Talks over the proposal have continued after a second deadline of 15 October passed without an agreement being reached. Formalising a partnership between the two competitions is viewed within the sport as a potential way to grow Super League revenue, while Super League has not yet secured a new title sponsorship, finalised broadcast negotiations or set fixtures for the 2027 campaign. The London Broncos' status for 2027 remains unresolved.

McDermott set out his view on the on-field product and the potential benefits of NRL involvement in a series of comments. "The product's brilliant. It has always being brilliant. The product's never been the problem. The players have never been the problem. The coaches have never been the problem," he said. "It's just how it's marketed and how it's presented to people. I think there's some dominoes could start falling our way if the NRL invests and we accept their investment."

London Broncos were placed 16th on the yearly grading list, below Championship side Barrow Raiders, despite a campaign in which they won the second tier's Grand Final, the 1895 Cup and finished as runaway champions in the regular-season standings. The Broncos were passed over 12 months ago when Bradford Bulls, York Knights and Toulouse Olympique were added to an expanded 14-team Super League, yet with backing from Australian businessman Grant Wechsel and former Brisbane Broncos star Darren Lockyer and a squad described as full of internationals they still harbour hopes of playing in Super League in 2027.

The financial disparity between the competitions was underlined by the NRL's record television deal and the size of Super League's agreement. The NRL struck a $5.3bn television deal over seven years in July, while Super League's Sky Sports deal, which expired at the end of 2026, was worth around £21.5m per year. "I know there's some positive notes around Super League at the moment, especially with crowds," McDermott added. "It's been a really interesting competition this year and Wakefield winning the Grand Final puts a brilliant marker down that all the teams can win it. "It would be a real positive validation of Super League if the NRL were to invest."

McDermott said additional investment would also widen the player pool and strengthen development pathways beneath first-grade level. "The TV deal that the NRL's just signed is enormous and [with that you get] preparation, the facilities and the teams coming through that support each NRL club," he said. "I don't think Super League clubs could populate three teams underneath them with a genuine six, seven, nine and one [the spine of the team]. So you end up playing a version of rugby league in the UK at junior level, which is good, it's well coached, it's dedicated and it's full of commitment. But you don't have the genuine six, seven, nine and one influence over a game. This is not a new opinion. This has been going on for a long time. If you're asking me, is there a big divide between the competitions? Yeah, there is. It's nothing to do with commitment, nothing to do with good-quality coaching or commitment from players. It's just the size of the competitions and the standing in their country."

It is understood any completed deal would involve the Australian governing body insisting on Broncos featuring in the top flight in the near future. Talks over the proposed investment remain ongoing.