Iran conflict could spell the end for NRL’s Global Round plans

While London is safe, the issue for the NRL will be how much travelling fans are asked to pay for flights. Due to the conflict, airlines are avoiding Middle East airspace and flying via Asia, which will increase costs if the limited routes continue.

“What is happening in Iran has certainly made us wary as to what we do next year,” V’landys said on Sunday.

“We’re still very keen to play a game in Abu Dhabi or London, but there’s no way we’ll take any risks. We’d have to announce something in the next month or six weeks. We’ll have a clearer picture in the next month.

“London would be the priority, then Abu Dhabi. There are 700,000 Australians living in London at any one time, there’s the natural interest in Super League, and we want to promote our Watch NRL overseas app, and we believe we can get millions of dollars in new revenues.

“Abu Dhabi also has great appeal, and we’ve been offered a lot of money to take a game there.

“Japan and Hong Kong have also been on our list. Depending on what happens, we might have to focus on playing a game closer to home.”

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V’landys would love a global round, as first revealed by this masthead last October, to complement the matches in Las Vegas.

A decision on which teams take part in next year’s double-header in Vegas – the fourth instalment of rugby league in the tourist mecca – will be made at about the same time a final call is reached on Global Round.

V’landys said of the five remaining clubs to play in the US, Parramatta, Melbourne, the Dolphins, Gold Coast and Wests Tigers: “They’re all keen. It will come down to who wants to be a home team, and management are negotiating all that at the moment.”