ANDREW VOSS has backed a deal between Super League and the NRL – but stressed clubs further down the Rugby League pyramid must not be forgotten.
Speaking on the League Express podcast, the respected commentator and voice of Fox League’s coverage of the sport insisted any proposed agreement must stretch beyond Super League to ensure clubs outside the top-flight do not simply fall by the wayside.
“What’s dear to my heart is everything below Super League,” explained Voss.
“I have the saying that every chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
“Whatever involvement, financial input or governance that is forced on the game in the UK, the deal has to include the Dewsbury’s, the Batley’s of this world and all those clubs down the line because if you just let the vine wither, what are we actually investing in?
“An investment in a sporting code, for me, it has to be at every level.”
As League Express reported last week, a meeting between Super League clubs failed to reach a final decision on whether to promote London Broncos into Super League, and in turn whether to accept the offer tabled by the NRL that would see the organization manage the competition from next year.
Since then, Leeds Rhinos, St Helens and both Hull clubs have released statements in support of a deal.
“I don’t know about those discussions behind closed doors, whether enough focus has been given on all these clubs,” Voss continued.
“I just hope that if we land on a deal – and I’m excited by the prospect of NRL involvement in Super League – I’m hoping that it leads to success, not just over a long-term. I’m hoping quickly that we can get there and that everyone can get the benefits of it.
“Those up in Cumbria, I want those looked after. I don’t want clubs to fall by the wayside.
“I hope that if this comes off, that everyone is excited by it, buys into it, and it’s a united front, but that it’s not just about Super League.
“Those would be the Andrew Voss terms for any potential deal from this side of the world into the game across the UK and France.”
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