NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo says progress has been made in talks over the southern-hemisphere body investing in Super League, but insists they are interested in a “partnership” as opposed to a “takeover”.

Amid continued speculation over NRL investment in Super League, with a view to bringing more money into the sport in the northern hemisphere while maximising its global presence, Abdo flew into the UK for face-to-face talks.

Ahead of Thursday night’s Super League clash between Hull FC and St Helens, Abdo gave a wide-ranging interview to Sky Sports in which he discussed many factors that could impact the situation, including whether club owners would need to give up control to facilitate NRL investment.

Below is a full transcript of how Abdo answered Sky Sports’ questions:

Why is NRL interested in investing in Super League?

We really believe in the globalisation of Rugby League. This is a great game and we want to take it to as many people as possible. We want to win as many fans as possible. So while the game is growing really well in the southern hemisphere, we also want the game to be strong here in the north. This game is heavily tribal. The Ashes tour was pretty special, but seeing the English fans in Vegas combined with all the Aussie fans, it was unbelievable. It was a sign of the synergies and a metaphor for the synergy of the two sports coming together.

How does NRL’s independent commission leadership model work?

With any successful business, not just sport, you need good ideas, you need access to capital and then you need the ability to execute. The ability to execute is really what we’re talking about in terms of governance. What we have in Australia is the Australian Rugby League Commission – eight independent directors. Those independent directors, led by Peter V’Landys, who’s the chairman, are custodians for the game, making sure the game is thriving at all levels. That independent decision-making is what we are hopeful for here because what we need is the ability to make the decisions that are important for the growth of the game long-term.

Would Super League need to adopt an independent commission?

We’re still exploring. This trip has been about listening, learning and being cognizant of the fact this is a complex stakeholder landscape. It’s different to Australia and we’re very respectful of that. It’s also understanding the different dynamics here in terms of grassroots, the relationship with broadcasters, the relationship with government and how it all fits together. We did take a few steps forward because it’s a common understanding around what our objectives are. In terms of the actual mechanics of the deal and how that all fits together, there are a few things still to work through, and obviously that’s what we’re going to focus on over the coming weeks.

Has there been a formal offer yet?

It’s not about an offer. This is about a partnership where we can collaborate on how we can grow the game, how we can grow revenues and how can those revenues be pumped back into the game? That’s pretty nuanced and that’s something we have to develop together. In any successful sport, you want to have a salary cap that allows you to attract the best athletes possible and you want clubs that are vibrant, strong and sustainable. It’s not sustainable to have private owners putting money in and it’s not sustainable to have an uneven competition. So clearly there needs to be strong investment back into the clubs to make sure they’re strong and sustainable. That is a key element of this. How much and how that all fits together, we’re still working through that.

Is the NRL coming to take over and disrespect Super League’s history?

Absolutely not. This is not a takeover. This is a partnership. It’s rugby league coming together. This is the NRL and the Super League coming together to make the sport stronger, not just here in England, France, Australia, New Zealand, but globally.

How would you envisage Super League looking in five years?

More showcasing of the game onto new markets. That’s really important. The best possible athletes in the game, more major events and a focus on the customer. You can distil this all down to many things and keeping many stakeholders happy, but ultimately it’s about fans. How do we win more fans and how do we keep growing the game? You have to have a sense of humility and you have to really listen to understand what the fans want.

When will an offer be on the table?

I can give you the assurance that we are looking at this very carefully. It’s exciting. I’m optimistic about what this can do for the sport of rugby league in many senses. So it has our attention, it has our focus. There are a few things that need to align on both sides and we’ll give it a red-hot go, but this is something that, if it’s going to happen, it needs to happen over the course of the next few weeks, months, not years.

2026 Super League – key dates and what to look out for

• Super League in Paris: Sat Jun 6: Catalans Dragons vs Wigan Warriors (Paris), 6.30pm UK (Sky Sports)
• Magic Weekend: July 4-July 5
• Rivals Round reversed: July 23-July 26
• Elimination Play-offs: September 19-September 20
• Play-off semi-finals: September 26-September 27
• Grand Final: October 3, Old Trafford.

Sky Sports will again show every game of the Super League live this season – including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining five matches each week shown on Sky Sports+