League moves to stop poaching

Jason Robinson has already switched codes

Rugby league chiefs are looking at following cricket's lead by bringing in central contracts for top players.

On Sunday, the Rugby Football League and Super League launched a joint initiative to provide top-up payments for rugby union-targeted players in a bid to fend off poaching raids from the rival code.

Now League officials hope the creation of "Club Great Britain" - a funding arm to boost elite players' contracts - will keep men like St Helens' Keiron Cunningham and Wigan's Kris Radlinski out of rugby union's clutches.

There is no doubt that in rugby union the top players are now getting very well rewarded and we don't rugby league players to be lagging behind

Gary Hetherington

Rugby league is hoping to gain funding from sponsorship deals and profits from future internationals, with the eventual aim of providing internationals with central contracts.

"It's only what happens in every other sport," said Super League director of rugby Gary Hetherington.

"The Welsh Rugby Union did it quite a few years ago and of course it's happened in cricket more recently.

"It's happening in English rugby union and it's a natural consequence that it should happen in rugby league.

"There is no doubt that in rugby union the top players are now getting very well rewarded and we don't rugby league players to be lagging behind.

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"The aim is to raise the whole profile of international rugby league and to reward the players who become very important to that team and retain them in rugby league.

"At this stage it's aspirational. It has been on the discussion table for quite a while but it's fair to say events of the last few weeks have surfaced it a bit quicker."

St Helens chairman Howard Morris, who is anxious to stave off Swansea's interest in Welsh hooker Cunningham, has cast doubt over the plan, describing it as "a short-term measure."

"We've never wanted to lose him and if this meant he stayed in rugby league we would welcome it, but it depends on what Keiron wants to do," Morris told the Independent.

"Even if it works, it's only a short-term measure. The game needs to get itself organised at international level, because that is what the players feel they are missing."