SKY SPORTS pundit Jon Wilkin has told Catalans Dragons veteran Luke Keary to “go home” if he isn’t enjoying Super League following the latter’s controversial comments about the state of rugby league in the northern hemisphere.
Among Keary’s quotes to Wide World of Sports were: “I’ll go on the record saying (the Super League) is in such a bad way, the game is horrendous over here.
“It’s the product, the coverage, the news around the game, there is zero.
“You watch the games, they’re near unwatchable. The way Sky do it now… it’s near unwatchable, and the players all know it. I can’t follow it and I f***ing play in it.”
Rugby League commercial managing director Rhodri Jones has hit back at those claims, while Catalans coach Steve McNamara has defended the playmaker.
Sky pundit Wilkin hit back at the former Sydney Roosters star’s comments on Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast.
“Can you imagine if he had been here two years ago? Maybe three years ago, what would he have said then? If anything, things are way better, all the games are on TV, you can stream all the games and there’s probably more content out there than there ever has been,” Wilkin said.
“When I read what he said, I was frustrated, I was angry at first because he’s been here for a very short period of time. I think he’s been an exceptional player and his achievements are unbelievable.
“He’s come over here and just to give some context, I think it’s safe to say his time in Super League hasn’t gone particularly well.
“Some of what he says I think is really valid but I think it’s super f***ing obvious. The NRL is better than Super League – that’s not a shock to anybody.
“The NRL has more resources than Super League – that’s not a shock to anybody. Channel 9 and Fox have more coverage of the game than Sky.
“So a lot of what he said is just obvious. So that’s when it becomes a case of why are you saying it? And if he’s having such a bad time over here when he’s on marquee money and he’s not lit the competition up, then just go home.
“What annoyed me about it was he’s saying it as though we don’t know the issues that we’ve got. The issues that we have as a sport over here we talk about all the time.
“The thing that annoyed me was about “unwatchable” and “horrendous”. He’s taking big money at a club and he has a squad number and he’s playing and he should be one of our marquee players that is leading the way, championing and pushing things and trying to improve things and I don’t think he’s hit the mark in any way with his comments. But he’s entitled to his opinion as well.
“If he thinks that, he shouldn’t be vilified for saying it but he should be held to account for saying it as well.
“His performance against Leigh, that was unwatchable. I watched him play against Leigh away and he dropped the ball six times. It’s like he had blown up marigolds for hands.”