ANY potential deal between the NRL and Super League has been given a three-month deadline – before the deal is closed off.

Talks between the two competitions began last year, and they continued last weekend at the height of the rugby league extravaganza in Las Vegas.

But, chief of the Australian Rugby League Commission, Peter V’landys’, has emphasised that the NRL should take ‘total control’ of Super League.

That could, however, rankle Super League clubs who currently enjoy hegemony in the northern hemisphere.

V’landys spoke to Triple M about what the NRL is prepared to do regarding a takeover, and why three months is the deadline in sight.

He said: “We’re prepared to do so, but if we did, we’d want to have total control because their corporate governance model is all clubs, and clubs all have self-interest.

“So you’ll never get good outcomes or decisions if the shareholders run the company. You’ve got to trust the board of directors.

“The way the NRL would do it is we would run the competition and they would benefit. We’ll invest heavily and we believe we can get a much better broadcast revenue.

“The way it is at the moment, it’s heading for a train crash if there’s not some new investment. It’s not going to be an easy road but if they love the game and they want to survive in England, this is their best opportunity.

“We have to do it in the next three months – if we can’t, they’re going to lose that opportunity.”