Hamish McLennan believes Eddie Jones is in the heads of their rival code, after a poll was published by The Sydney Morning Herald playing down the new Wallaby coach’s chances of raiding talent.
The Herald on Wednesday published an exclusive poll playing down Jones’ threat to the NRL.
“Club bosses unconcerned by threat of Jones raid for talent,” the headline read.
The story came off the back of the Herald’s request to conduct a poll with all 34 NRL chief executives and chairmen about the game’s big subjects. Only 25 responded.
Top of the list was Jones’ threat to the NRL.
The Herald asked: ‘Do you believe Eddie Jones and the Australian Rugby Union are a threat to lure players away from the NRL?’
Unsurprisingly, 80 per cent responded they weren’t.
Curiously, 20 per cent did.
It comes despite the NRL salary cap for 2023 is $12.1 million, which is more than double a Super Rugby franchise.
McLennan, who was instrumental in signing Jones on a five-year deal through to the home 2027 World Cup, laughed off the poll and said it was another sign of the NRL second guessing themselves.
“The fact they’re publishing surveys about Eddie Jones shows he’s already in their heads,” McLennan told The Roar.
“What a hoot. Twenty per cent are worried about him – that’s massive.”
The poll comes after Jones, who previously lured across to rugby headline acts Mat Rogers, Wendell Sailor and Lote Tuqiri ahead of the 2003 World Cup, dominated headlines throughout January and has regularly spoken of his desire to entice back some lost players to the XV-person game.
“There’s a definite priority in there, the first thing we want to do is retain all the talent in rugby then secondly we want to recruit back the guys who were in rugby and went to league,” Jones said in January.
Even before returning home to Australia, Jones was pivotal in ensuring one of the most exciting young talents chose rugby over the NRL last year.
Boom Waratahs back Max Jorgensen, whose father, Peter, played for the Wallabies before a successful career in rugby league, was hotly pursued by the Roosters and Bulldogs, but a conversation between Jones and his Peter Jorgensen helped convince him that rugby was the right path to initially go down.
Jorgensen scored a double on debut for the Waratahs in front of 25,000 fans in Sydney last week.
Melbourne Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona recently said he was considering whether to make a cross-code switch, while Roosters star Joseph Suaalii and Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray are on the hit list for Rugby Australia.
In an interview last month, Jones told SEN that Murray would be a “fantastic 12”.
While Murray is signed through until 2025, McLennan said the NSW State of Origin star, who was an Australian Schoolboys star in rugby, was in their sights.
“Cameron Murray could be a zinger for the World Cup in Australia, which would be incomparable to anything he has done,” he said.
Adding to the prospect of the Wallabies plotting a raid on the NRL is the fact Rugby Australia only offered Samu Kerevi – one of the world’s best inside centres – a short-term deal to return from Japan last month.
RA was cautious not to sign Kerevi on a long-term, multi-million deal because he is edging closer to 30 and is in the process of returning from an ACL injury.
But should Murray, 25, stay injury free, RA could well be building a war chest to go after the former rugby prodigy.
NRL chairman Peter V’landys has attempted to talk rugby down in recent months, mocking the game by saying players would be able to “take their mobile phone with them on the field because they’ve got 30 minutes to tweet, Instagram or TikTok”.
“We wish Eddie the best of luck, and I hope he’s got his mobile phone with him so he can fill that 30 minutes as well,” V’landys told AAP.
Jones, who enjoys a bit of banter, has since begun describing V’landys as the “horse guy”.
“I think he’s been probably sitting in TAB too much, I encourage him to get out of the TAB and go and watch some Super Rugby, I’ll invite him to a game,” Jones said.
“If we can play some good rugby, people will want to watch us play. And if we win, then we’ll be in a better position in the media … all the rugby league journalists want to be part of it,
“We might even get, what’s his name, the horse guy to a media conference. V’landys.
“So the task is relatively simple, but the process is the difficult part. Everyone knows what we want to do, I’ve heard guys who I’ve coached, they tell me their sons don’t watch rugby anymore.
“That happens when you’re not connected with your fans, and part of that is the winning process and part of that is how we conduct ourselves.
“There’s a clear message; we’ve got to try to become a team of the rugby community, and that’s hard in the professional era where you need to have good training camps, and you can’t spend the amount of time in the public as you used to, but we’re going to have to find a way to do that.”
Riktor
Roar Rookie
yes yes i get that rugby schools don`t care about the Wallabies.I still dont like what they are doing .
Barry Smyth
Roar Rookie
I wouldn’t count on that, I know quite a few of the Father's from this current crop & RL is a distant 2nd fro these boys.
HittingGapsWithNoGas
Roar Rookie
Eddie is stirring the pot. Getting rugby back on the front page (or closer to it) and lighting a fire up the arse of any lacklustre Wallaby mainstays and any potential bolters. He’s publicly mentioned what he’s looking for from players. I think Eddie’s open appreciation for League as well as Union is refreshing. The games are so similar. Let’s not always be at battle stations so we can welcome more kids to try out Union and potentially fall in love with it.
Ally
Guest
Because they are schools that play Rugby, not Rugby school teams run on behalf of Rugby Australia. If Murray and Katoa helped Newington and Barker win their respective comps, why is that anyone but their schools business? The question should be why isn't there enough Rugby players playing so schools are increasingly offering league youngsters scholarships? Eddie Jones went on a rant last year about English players being too private school background, which is true. However now he's in charge of the only Rugby nation that's more private school orientated than England. Even weirder a Rugby background in the NRL axcording to Eddie and Rugby media seems to be if you went to a private school. I bet there's a few NRL players that played junior club rugby - but they don't count because it wasn't attached to an elite school.
Euan Williams
Guest
The Alfred E Neuman of world rugby is a grinner, but not a winner.
Riktor
Roar Rookie
“while getting a scholarship to play a few rugby games for a private school for a couple of years” This is where i have a problem. Why do rugby schools give rugby scholarships to Rugby league players.
Objective Observer
Roar Rookie
What are you talking about? Do people who live in QLD think? The choice of your Premier suggests otherwise.
Geoff
Roar Rookie
what another kiwi in the wallabies!
Geoff
Roar Rookie
But you need a pack, you won't find that in league.
Geoff
Roar Rookie
You mean league, don't pretend it's rugby, don't try to gloom onto the name , stick with your six tackle and kick name
Perthstayer
Roar Rookie
Apologies. AFL is so off the scale it wasn't in my mind. NRL has a mature financial plan with a big asset base. But looking at other RWC's tells me Union by 2027 will have a huge cash injection (estimates range $150 to $400m), I'm not going to speculate on new TV deals/sponsors/higher attendance, merchandise etc, but Union will be very rich. $ for $ more than NRL? Not sure, but money will no longer have to be the deciding factor for players. RA will also get an estimated $50m from Lions in 2025.
Riddler
Guest
Historically ever since WW1, Rugby has always been behind League domestically in terms of popularity . There was a brief challenge during the Wallabies golden era late 1990’s to mid 2000’s which coincided with the Beginning and Ending of the Super League War. But poor Rugby administration and foresight coupled with League getting their house in order saw that challenge just as quickly dissipate. I like Rugby but Sheek is right, Rugby Admin and Fans have to stop thinking that the international aspect of Rugby will somehow save the game here in Australia. It won’t and for too long the Administration has used the Wallabies and the international game as a cash cow, but that cash cow will die if the domestic game is left to wither.
James584
Roar Rookie
No. Do you have any communication or comprehension skills?
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
It’s not competition they need, it’s game time at a higher level so they can expand their skills. The difference between Lolesio and Mo’unga is more down to the fact that Mo’unga has played about 50 times as more top level games than Lolesio and so has been able to develop his skills in a way Lolesio hasn’t. Most league players have more game time as well, but the game is so far different from rugby that it makes them worse rugby players
piru
Roar Rookie
Isn't that what I just said?
sheek
Roar Guru
LuckyPhil - thank you.
Jack Ghost
Roar Rookie
Not in February,
Jack Ghost
Roar Rookie
I'm a fan of both actually and grew up playing Rugby.
woodart
Roar Rookie
you mean , get in touch with rugby players playing sydney based club league, and ask them if they want to play against the best from all over the world?and travel all over the world getting paid to do so.
Wizz
Roar Rookie
So true money popularity for this game comes in cycles and theres no doubt it's around the corner but if it's squandered like last time us due hards have another tough period .Poaching league players makes sense if the money is in the bank and it's educated choices But way off that as we speak but dreams are free and sowing seeds are smart..