'He's been a bit over dramatic': NRL great Luke Keary to be sanctioned as 'unwatchable' Super League hits back

A senior British rugby league official labelled Luke Keary's comments about the "horrendous" state of the Super League "over dramatic".

In an interview with Wide World of Sports, Keary slammed the quality of the game's coverage and broadcast as "unwatchable", and the product "horrendous".

On Friday morning, RL Commercial – the business arm of the RFL – managing director Rhodri Jones hit back, claiming TV audiences and match-day attendance was up.

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"(The comments) were dramatic, certainly when I woke up this morning and saw them, they were certainly dramatic," he told BBC radio.

"Luke's clearly entitled to his own opinion. I'm not necessarily in agreement with what he's got to say.

"From our perspective, our figures are showing that we're having a very positive season. Our attendances are up, our TV audiences both across Sky Sports and BBC are up.

"Probably there's a little bit of Luke being in France, he might be a little bit out of the mainstream (in England), somewhat, in terms of seeing the positivity for the game here in the UK."

Keary moved to France to play for Catalans for 2025, and was shocked by the differences between the Super League and the NRL.

He said the players were all in favour of an NRL buy-in.

"If (the NRL) don't buy it, they're in a lot of trouble ... all the players are open to it," he told Wide World of Sports.

"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. There is zero.

"You watch the games, they're near unwatchable. The way Sky do it now, or whoever's got it, it's near unwatchable, and the players all know it. I can't follow it and I f---ing play in it."

Wide World of Sports understands Keary is expecting to be handed a hefty fine from the RFL and Catalans over his spray.

Jones said they were "honest" comments from someone fresh out of the "Sydney bubble".

Keary won NRL premierships with the Rabbitohs and Roosters over a decade-long career in Australia before moving to France.

Watch the 2025 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.

"I recognise Luke has played at the very top of the game in Australia – the game in Australia is very much akin to the Premier League over here," he told BBC radio.

"That Sydney bubble, it's non-stop media, it's front page, back page. That's what he's used to."

Jones said the Super League was "heading in the right direction" in working with the NRL, and pointed to the competition's presence in Las Vegas.

The Super League will also this weekend host its own Magic Round at St James' Park in Newcastle.

Jones said he hoped Keary's playing in Magic weekend and then a Challenge Cup semi final against Hull KR the weekend after would give him a "different opinion on Super League".

"I was surprised by what he had to say. I did speak to his club this morning and they too were surprised. I think they would be disappointed, perhaps, with how dramatic his comments were," Jones said.

"It's disappointing. I actually saw and met Luke for the first time a couple of weeks ago. He asked me about the NRL and I gave him a very honest answer, which was, we are talking, we've got a positive working relationship with them, Vegas and the (rugby league) Ashes being two examples.

"There's a lot of ongoing dialogue with the NRL, but there's also a lot of media speculation in both hemispheres.

"So at this point in time, who knows what the future could look like. It's interesting, and no doubt we'll bump into each other over the weekend as well.

"I think we can do a lot of things that can convince him that perhaps he's been a bit over dramatic in his comments."