'Disappointing to see': RLPA boss whacks 'short-sighted' R360 bans

RLPA boss Clint Newton has whacked the NRL over the "short-sighted" decision to threaten players who leave the code for R360 with 10-year bans.

ARL Commission chairman Peter V'landys came out earlier this month and said that any player who makes the jump to the rebel rugby union competition would be frozen out of a return for a decade.

The audacious plan has drawn plenty of criticism and many have doubted whether the potential sanctions could be legally imposed.

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One person who has been left seething over the touted bans is Newton, whose main task is to look after the wellbeing of all rugby league players.

While he doesn't want to see stars leave the game and join a rival code, Newton is also of the belief the suspensions wouldn't hold up in court.

"No and it was disappointing to see those comments publicly," he told SEN Radio.

"We do not support players breaking contracts or leveraging away from their contracts. It's an epidemic in our game.

"There's risk involved in players going to R360 [but] we believe [the bans] are short-sighted. Why restrict players' ability to use their IPs? Why aren't we using this to grow the game and align ourselves with North American sports.

"Putting an arbitrary ban, which we don't believe will hold, we are missing a chance to be innovative and progressive with our game and keep our best players in the game."

Two high-profile players, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Zac Lomax, have been granted early releases from their contracts and the belief is they will both take the massive money on offer to join R360 when the competition starts towards the end of next year.

Newton doesn't want to see players breaking contracts or pushing for early exits no matter what the circumstances, but is happy for free agents to use their "free choice" and possibly make life-changing money in what is a rather short career.

"I don't see what the problem is with that," he said.

"We aren't supporting players leaving our game. What we are saying is that if you decide to leave, that's your free choice. It's a fundamental employment right.

"We can't handcuff people to this code."

Broncos superstar Payne Haas, who is off-contract at the end of 2026, has also been heavily linked to a code switch on a deal worth potentially $3 million per season.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was also in the sights of R360 powerbrokers, but the expectation now is that the Warriors gun will remain in rugby league beyond his current deal.