NRL salary cap mooted to rise to around $12.7m in 2027 and  $15m by 2028. Coupled with what they might expect in return for their "investment", then this could be the start of a very dark period indeed for SL. 

I honestly don't think any impending investment/take over is something Leeds or any other top level SL club should fear. The NRL want to negotiate global TV rights in 2028, which in essence would mean European SL (or NRL Europe) would be due a far larger slice of that cake. The Aussies know that if they want to take the game to the next level and embrace bigger markets SL is the only viable bet,  so their is no value from their perspective in diminishing the value of the comp. The catch in all this will be the number of clubs they consider to be top flight. But to be honest, a proper conversation on that subject is long overdue in our game, and has indeed been holding it back for 30 years.

I agree that the game here has been held back, in fact in recent years it's been a race to the bottom, with the poor tv deals and lowest common denominator salary cap level being two glaring examples of this. I've no problem at all with NRL investment, but the terms are important. We've been told for years that there is too much self interest from the clubs, but in all honesty I'm not sure what else could have been expected. A moribund governing body flip flopping around, with no clear vision, has led us to where we are. The clubs have had to take the lead, as sub optimal as that is (and it is) given the disparity in size etc. My concern is the NRL's intention, and what they see as their return. A feeder comp for the NRL? Clubs not just in a partnership with NRL clubs but subordinate to them, little to no autonomy? It might improve the on field spectacle and be of little concern to fans here, but my point is there are always options, and all concerned need to go in with eyes wide open, and not just accept a deal because it happens to fit with the mode du jour. I'd suggest there's one more crack at getting this right, and this is it. 

Legitimate concerns and you'd expect them to be addressed as negotiations progress. I'm depressed (and also slightly relieved) to say that SL is just not as viable for them as a feeder comp as the Queensland and NSW cups. We just don't produce the volume of talent they do. How many players have Leeds legitimately lost to the NRL over the last decade? Hall and Gannon by my count. We'd have to start producing many more high quality players for it to become a real problem, and wouldn't that be a great problem to have?

Seems to often take 48hrs for my posts to be visible