Jim Dolan: Australian Sports Journalist on the latest rumours surrounding R360

A big headache for NRL bosses ahead of the grand final. 

10 stars are reportedly lined up to leave league, defecting to rugby union’s Saudi-backed ‘R360’, including Ryan Papenhuyzen, Zac Lomaz, and Warriors winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. 

The competition is targeting an October 2026 start date. 

But Australian Sports Journalist Jim Dolan confirmed to Mike Hosking that no one has officially signed onto the project yet. 

He says there’s no coaches, no venues, and while there’s plenty of talk of money coming in from around the world, no one’s actually put their hand up and confirmed they’re investing. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The new Saudi back down three sixty looks real, as
I've just been saying, NRL allegedly facing losing at least
ten key players, Rugby Australia looking to block any Wallaby's
of the jump. Jim Dollans and Australian sports journalists back
with us. Jim Morning Today, Mike, how much fizz has
there been around us in the last few months? Are
people taking this seriously or are we just stort of
waking up to this now?

Speaker 2 (00:20):
It pubbles to the surface a lot and then sort
of goes back yesterday. It's certainly with the starting date
apparently locked in for next year, it certainly did come
back to the surface with the talk of ten blayers
from the NRL, and somebody went on the record, Clinton Schaffofski,
who's a player manager. He's a former player, played for
a number of clubs, Canberra and Paramatta and also played

(00:42):
state of origin for Queensland. He has confirmed that he
has spoken to people from three sixty, which no one
else has said so far, and he also manages the
three players who the most mentioned, Zach Lomas, also Melbourne's
Ryan Pappenhausen and Jai Gray from South Sydney Now Zach Lomax.
There's been all sorts of rumors saying that he played

(01:04):
his last game for Paramatter as he was very keen
despite being contracted until the end of twenty twenty eight. Well,
Zach put paid to that last night at the Dallyms
when he said, no, my focus is on Paramatta next year.
It's not right that I'm going right.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
So what we know allegedly is this thing begins October two,
twenty twenty six, so we're less technically a year ago.
They actually haven't got a player, have they. There's just
a lot of heat we're talking to. There's no one
signed and said I'm.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Off no, and no coaches that don't have any venues yet.
There's been some thrown up and there's plenty of talk
to his money coming from all around the world, but
no one's actually put their hand up said yes, I'm
investing in this. Right.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
So when I read about the Australian rugby, people going well,
you can't be a Wallaby if you're going to do this.
So this is kind of the shadow boxing. Will say this,
and you do that and we'll see where it shakes down.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Oh yeah, Australian rugby is in a very strong position
because of the home World Cup in twenty twenty seven.
Strange timing trying to do it a year out from
a Rugby World Cup. If this was happening a year
after the Rugby World Cup, I think a lot more
around Alumbells would be ringing.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
Yeah, does it appeal to you, Jim? I'm looking at
these so based in London, Miami, Tokyo to buy a
Boston Cape Town, Lisbon, Madrid. Who cares? Like, I mean,
why am I watching that?

Speaker 2 (02:20):
What for? And it's just like the Rugby World Sevens
that we already have. So there's some talk of the
Saudi involvement, maybe pitch for Saudi or Katsa to host
the future Rugby World Cup. And this could be a
very big bargaining chip because they've saw what happened with
golf and yeah, it's that say, the players can live

(02:41):
wherever they want as long as they play and what
will eventually firstly be six to eight week tournament and
then after that it will run for a couple of months.
But like the Seventh Circus so and there's no talk
of anywhere in South Africa Australia or New Zealand, which
would pretty much be rugby heartlands you would need to win.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
So yeah, and we've already got too much rugby, haven't we.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Well okay, well not enough for these people. But yeah,
it's it's it's very costly exercise and yeah, I don't
see where the positives are yet.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
What Okay, So reputation on the line this morning, Jim,
I ring you August September next year? Is this real?
Is it going to start? And in the ensuing period
of twenty twenty six have they signed some gobs making
names and we're all going, oh my god, look at this.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
I wouldn't think so. They wouldn't need to get so
many players out of their contracts because in Australia rugby
league and rugby contracts run from November one to October
thirty one, so they would or even the players are
off contract next year in the NRL and rugby would
still be under contract when its ornament starts the year
from today.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
Interesting, or I might go, well, appreciate you getting up
early in the morning, Jim Dolan out of Australia, So
just if you're interested, so this time next year it
starts teams for female teams twenty twenty seven. As you mentioned,
Real Rugby Cup year twelve event competition runs from April
to September, include semis and a final. Men's competition will
expand to eight teams by twenty twenty eight. Competition will

(04:13):
include sixteen events from April to September. The franchise locations,
as I mentioned, their sort of glamour Northern Hemisphere type spots.
I guess teams will be registered to the United Arab
Emirates Rugby Federation. Players will be granted full release to
play international rugby. But that's the problem. Of course, you
can't be a Wallaby. You can be released to do

(04:33):
what The players will own their IP, not be owned
by their team or R three sixty. A player draft
July of next year will take place. All players will
be able to choose their country of residents, won't be
asked to reside in their franchise location. So I suppose
we'll see where that goes. For more from the Mic
Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
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