FORMER Wigan Warriors and Salford Red Devils star Jackson Hastings has spoken of his fear that more Super League talent could be readying themselves for moves to the NRL.
The likes of Hastings, John Bateman, Oliver Gildart and now Will Pryce and Kai Pearce-Paul have all made/will make the move Down Under.
And Hastings explained that for someone like Kai Pearce-Paul, the lure of a move Down Under is too great at present.
“Money isn’t everything but it can almost be everything for a young kid who would be on maybe £50,000,” Hastings said on James Graham’s The Bye Round Podcast.
“Minimum wage here is $150,000 and I know you’ve got to convert it but your contract as a kid is obviously only going to go up.
“If you come from a single parent home, like Kai (Pearce-Paul) does for example, it’s life-changing money for not only himself but his mother and family.
“I’m on the same side as you and want to see superstar talent stay in Super League because I care about that competition so deeply, but at the same time the players have got to do what is best for themselves to.
“The more talent we can get staying in Super League the better English rugby league is going to be going forward as well.”
The likes of Dom Young and Elliott Whitehead have carved out massive reputations for themselves in the NRL after making the move from Super League.
But, how do we stop this from happening? That is one of many questions that the new stakeholders, IMG, must answer.
