Elliott Smith: Sportstalk host on the 10-year ban for players who defect to the R360 rugby competition

League great Billy Slater reckons the 10 year bans for players who defect to the rebel R360 rugby competition are a bit extreme.

ARL Commission chair Peter V'landys has accused R360 officials of pirating the game for financial gain.

Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explains the backlash further.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sport with tab bed Live with in playing there responsibly.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Elliott Smith, sports talk hosters of me. Hey, Elliott, So,
Billy Slater doesn't love what rugby leage's.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
Doing, Yes, is it's not necessary? I think the words
were a little bit extreme. We talked yesterday obviously about
the ten year band that Peter Landy's in, the ARL
or the NRL are pushing forward, and Billy Slater doesn't
think it's necessary, believes that they should back the game
that they've got it, believes it's at the best it's
ever been in terms of entertainment factors, that of origin
this year the NRL finals, and not really worry about

(00:31):
what are three sixty is doing. I kind of agree
with you.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
He's got a point. I mean, R three sixty is
at best a threat to world rugby, not rugby league.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
No, but it's interesting that all the players from the
NRAL that have been linked with these huge salaries are
by and large league players more so than union plays.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Why do you think that is right? Because I was
under the theory is that it's because they can't get
any world any rugby union players. But I thought it
was simply because Saudi rugby can see whetherynamic players are
and it's rugby league.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
Quite possibly, But is signing pain Hass going to start
kickstart R three sixty and get it on the map worldwide?
I'd argue that that rugby union players are more well
known worldwide than a lot of those league players. Yeah
so what so what's the what's in it for them?
Are they going to be able to sell more tickets
as a result of these league players going over?

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah? So they haven't got the star powers you're arguing, but.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
Boy, they've got the leagues they do.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yes, I don't mean in a sexy one, no, just
sense of.

Speaker 3 (01:30):
Being running fast and all that. But to me it's
I think if you're the NRL, you just kind of
don't worry about it, do you. It's not going to
blight the game, I don't think. I don't think there's
a risk that any one of any relevance is going
to go.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Are they worried that?

Speaker 3 (01:43):
Are you sure?

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Because Artie is.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
This is the back end of his career. Yeah, I'm
talking players in their prime, like a pain Hess, like
a Res Walsh. They're not going to go. I would
be stunned if they go. Okay, you look, look a
huge amount of money. They're being off a huge amounts
of money, but for what what are they playing? There's
no intel the R three sixty you doesn't even have
a website.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
The hole in your argument is if it is just
players at the tail end of their career, then the
NRL wouldn't be doing this, would they were a team years.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
That's right, That's what I mean. I'm not sure why
they're so worried.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Because are they Are they hearing that it's other players?

Speaker 3 (02:18):
Maybe they are because we haven't go because they think
they maybe players will break their contract like Sonny Buill
did back in the day.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
If you're listening to what's being whispered, right, it's hundreds
of players who have these offers in front of them. Yes,
So when we're talking about the RT yeses and the
so and so, we're like we know about three, right,
or maybe at best we know about a dozen. It's
not touching the sides of who's been offered. So maybe
the threat is greater than we think.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
And maybe if look, if they get a big fish,
then a few more fish start following.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Now listen, I can't believe the Colm Games is going
to India's that's.

Speaker 3 (02:47):
How excited you.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
No, not at all.

Speaker 3 (02:48):
We thought the Commworth Games are dead a year ago.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
It's like sort of slightly happy about that as well.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
Lasgo comes on board and saves it for twenty twenty six. Yes,
under a reduced I think it's ten day program. They've
got rid of rugby seven's, they got rid of a
lot of the entertaining sports out of there, and I
met a bad twenty thirty lining up going to be
rubber Stam next month. Now this is good news for Heather,
for New Zealand, who had said their sights on twenty
thirty four about three years ago I think it was.

(03:14):
And then in the interim the Coomwath Games basically died.
So for New Zealand, at the Komwath Games are back
a life again.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, when you say good news, good news, because it's
going to be bloody expensive to host this thing.

Speaker 3 (03:25):
No more good news at the Komwoav Games are actually
going to be still going by that point, because what's
the point in targeting twenty thirty four if they weren't
going at all?

Speaker 2 (03:32):
Well, I said, yeah, well absolutely, I mean I'm in
two minds. I'm not convinced by the U get along.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
To the Bowls if they were here, Oh hard out.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
I can't think of anything better. I'm just not convinced
by the economic argument for hosting them. But listen the
twenty thirty games. Are they the ones that were supposed
to be in Canada?

Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yes? Okay, so we found a host for them.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
Oh ya, Ali back whoo. I'm not into this, Elliott,
Thank you, Elliott Smith. SportsTalk Coasting, We're back at seven this.

Speaker 1 (03:58):
Evening for more from me Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen
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