Meninga, Fittler hose down hybrid clash

A $50 million game between the Kangaroos and All Blacks has been tossed up for 2019.

Rugby league legends Mal Meninga and Brad Fittler have questioned the legitimacy of a possible history-making clash between the Kangaroos and All Blacks in 2019.

Organisers claim they have already reached out to the New Zealand Rugby Union, while Australian Rugby League Commission chairman John Grant has also been approached.

News Corp reported the game, mooted for Japan following the 2019 Rugby World Cup, would attract $50 million in revenue from commercial and broadcast deals.

Almost half of the profits would be paid to each team and while Meninga admitted being intrigued by the idea, he described the possibility as a "pipe dream".

"It's interesting isn't it. It'd be a promoter's dream I would guess. We haven't given it much thought, I just saw it in the papers overnight and this morning," he said.

"It's something we'd probably consider but it's a pipe dream at the moment I would imagine.

"Anything that's going to help promote both games ... playing against the All Blacks, they've got a worldwide brand. From a Kangaroos point of view that would certainly help that.

"It's a promotor's dream (but) no one's actually talked to us at the moment about it."

Fittler was also intrigued by the proposal but also queried whether it would work.

"If they can get it on, I think it'd be brilliant. I don't know if they can. I don't know how the game would look," he said.

"But I'm sure if you cross the two games at some stage, there's a brilliant game there waiting."

Meninga instead called for more Test matches following a strong start to the Rugby League World Cup that has attracted impressive television ratings.

The Seven Network claims 4.6 million viewers have tuned in to watch the World Cup.

"We've got to play more games of international rugby league so that's how we're going to grow the game of rugby league, taking it to new areas," Meninga said.

"Through the Pacific we need to keep on working hard there and we believe that we're going to the US for the World Cup, 2025.

"We've got to keep on playing international rugby league games in different countries and keep on propogating it that way."


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Source: AAP



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