You'd have to say this Rugby 360 thing is starting to get real....
Ryan Papenhuyzen had played his last game for the Melbourne Storm after being granted an immediate release to consider his future.
Papenhuyzen, who has been widely linked with rebel Rugby in a competition R360, has been a fixture at the Storm during a highly successful period for the club.
He had one year remaining on his deal with an option for a further season, but has opted to become the second Storm player to depart in two days, following Jonah Pezet signing with Parramatta for next year before he is due to join the Brisbane Broncos on a long-term deal.
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This is the first sign of R360 being real, players will begin to try and head off to Europe and play Union til R360 eventuates and can start immediately.
It would be panic stations, bit like SL 97 where the story of Kevin Walters paid the $15 fast clearance on his SL cheque in fear the money runs out, players want to play in 2026 to get what they can incase it fold after a year or two.
Nobody knows why
I'm expecting Parra to come out with the same announcement for Lomax
Tick tock... waiting... 🍿
Makes sense that this is the first R360 penny to drop - the timing is spot on, right in time to give Melbourne a few days to consider releasing him so they can make plays in the Nov 1 player market.
In all honesty this probably solves a hard problem for the Storm with Faalogo waiting for his spot.
I wonder if many other R360 dominos will fall... I assume the Lomax announcement will be out shortly.
If he goes to R360 will be interesting if the NRL bans them for 10 yrs.
V'Landys is a man that does not just say things and forgets or leaves it. He will try to ban them. Whether it is allowed to get enforced is another question.
Of course the NRL can ban them. They, like any employer, can pick and choose who they want to hire. Whether the NRL will choose to ban high profile players, who bring revenue in, is the question. Every player who is thinking of going to R360 needs to weigh up the consequences of that decision. Is the massive wad of cash worth the trade-off of not being welcomed back? If they have no intention of going back to the NRL, green light for them. If they are, they will need to factor in whether the NRL will re-register them, and if not, they might need to go ply their trade elsewhere. The NRL are not obligated to hire anyone they don't want to.
Totally agree iamnot but he said a 10 yr ban and whether their high profile or not he has to do it no matter what or he will look like a real dill and have law suits against him if he alows certain 1's back and not others.
shane, he can't ban players who are still contracted to the NRL. That won't fly and any challenge in court by a player will win. BUT, they can ban players after they have left the NRL.
The interesting part is the player managers...
I think he meant he'd ban them if they broke their contract to go to the unsanctioned comp. If they are out of contract then they can legally go wherever they want.
Knowing Pete the Greek he'd still ban them but why ban them if they do the right thing contractually?
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