HULL KR owner Neil Hudgell believes London needs to have a presence in Super League – and has called for the end of clubs’ “self-interest” in decision-making.
There is currently uncertainty around whether London Broncos will secure a place in the top division next season.
As it stands, a 14-team competition will be decided by grading scores alone, meaning London’s dominant Championship season to date under ambitious Australian ownership could go unrewarded.
There have been some calls for an expansion to 15 clubs, as happened last year to grow from twelve.
However it happens, Hudgell – who has financially backed Hull KR’s rise to Super League champions – wants to see Super League being played in the capital again.
He told Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast: “We’ve got to look strategically about where the game is and what the game is. You’ve got the (traditional) corridor – Hull, Leeds and the north west.
“London, for me, has to be in at some point. It needs to be right because it’s never been in the right place (before), but Thursday night in London in the right spot has got to be an attractive proposition.
“You’ve got two French clubs as well, so there’s something to build on there, but we need to work out strategically how we pull all that together.”
Hudgell hopes that won’t be jeopardised by fellow Super League club owners, who he said did not always act in the sport’s best interests.
He is sympathetic with the view of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) that a more independent governance structure is required in the British game.
The ARLC are currently in discussions with Rugby League Commercial over a potential investment, with a first offer of around £35 million over five years, reportedly for a controlling interest in Super League, being received unfavourably.
“If the clubs are left to their own devices, what’ll happen is determined on self-interest, (and that’s been a problem for) a long, long time,” said Hudgell.
“We need to let the executives of the game get on and get to a position. They need to get the best deal on the table and then the clubs need to work out if it’s for them. If it’s not for them, there needs to be a very compelling reason why not.
He added: “I used to sit round the Super League table and I stopped doing that five years ago because I didn’t like the dynamics of it.
“You’ve got a series of clubs that vote for self-interest and end up cutting each other’s throats. That’s not in the best interests of the game.
“We need to parachute somebody in independently that’s probably going to upset everybody from time to time for the betterment of the game, because the game has got so many fabulous qualities but just can’t run itself.
“As I understand it, there might be a bit of a mix of investment (into the British game) from two or three places. If the package is right, then they’ve clearly got the skillset to do it and it clearly needs to happen.”