It was an unusual analogy from the administrator running what sells itself as the toughest sport in the world. “It’s like a game of Tetris,” NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said of planning the future of rugby league. After the Las Vegas showcase last weekend, the 2025 competition makes its Australian bow on Thursday with a clash between the Roosters and Broncos in Sydney.
The GameBoy puzzle classic seems to have little in common with league, at least since the retirement of Glenn Lazarus, the brick with eyes. But the connection turned out to be literal, as Abdo also confirmed the first rugby league videogame in eight years was due in 2025. More than that, however, Abdo likened his role to a Tetris player given the challenges and opportunities faced by the competition as it enters its 118th year: of player welfare, expansion, and – most critically – broadcast negotiations.
