Peter V’landys has mocked the AFL’s expensive pursuit of celebrity grand final entertainment while revealing the NRL is close to securing its own headline act.
The ARL Commission chairman insists rugby league does not need an international performer because the game itself provides sufficient entertainment.
His comments followed renewed promotion of Kylie Minogue’s appearance at the 2026 AFL Grand Final, where the Australian pop icon will headline the league’s biggest pre-game production.
“We are the most watched sport in Australia, we don’t need international pop stars to come in,” V’landys told Nine’s Today.
“Our entertainment is our game.”
However, the NRL has still not announced who will perform before its grand final at Accor Stadium on October 4.
V’landys says an act is “nearly locked in”, but refused to reveal whether the league has returned to an Australian performer after previously pursuing British star Olivia Dean.
V’landys Says Rival Codes Need Musical Help
V’landys used the appearance to argue that rugby league’s television popularity means it does not need to compete with the AFL’s entertainment budget.
“We’re still the most watched sport in Australia, we’ve got the top three most watched programs in Australia in State of Origin, and this finals series is going to break more records,” he said.
“You won’t get a more entertaining sport than rugby league. Other sports need these acts, we don’t.”
The comments were clearly directed at the AFL, which confirmed Minogue as its headline performer in March.
Minogue will perform at the MCG before the AFL Grand Final on September 26, with more than 100,000 spectators expected to attend.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon described her as an Australian icon who had remained on the league’s entertainment wish list for several years.
“Kylie has been on our wish list for a long time, and there is no better artist to headline the performance prior to our biggest game of the season,” Dillon said when the booking was announced.
The AFL’s production is expected to run for approximately 20 minutes and has been promoted as the largest grand final entertainment show the league has staged.
Kylie Is Not an International Import
There is an obvious problem with V’landys’ swipe.
Minogue is not an international artist being flown into Australia with no connection to the event.
She was born in Melbourne, built the opening stages of her career in Australia and remains one of the country’s most successful musical exports.
The AFL has spent heavily on overseas performers in recent years, including Katy Perry, Kiss, Robbie Williams and Snoop Dogg.
Minogue is different.
She represents an Australian headline act with sufficient global recognition to attract casual viewers while maintaining a genuine connection with Melbourne and the MCG.
V’landys’ broader argument about avoiding enormous entertainment fees may be defensible. His suggestion that the AFL requires an “international pop star” is considerably less convincing when the performer is one of Australia’s most famous entertainers.
NRL Previously Wanted Olivia Dean
The NRL’s position also appears to have shifted since April.
V’landys publicly revealed the league intended to approach Olivia Dean because the British singer would already be in Australia around grand final week.
“I’m certainly aware of Olivia Dean, and my daughter is a huge fan,” he said at the time.
“To have someone of the brilliance of Olivia Dean would be fantastic. We know she’ll be in town, and we’ll be reaching out to her people.”
Dean’s Australian tour was scheduled to begin in Melbourne one day after the NRL Grand Final, before moving to Sydney the following week.
V’landys said then that the league wanted a major performer but would not attempt to match the enormous amounts reportedly spent by the AFL.
“If you’re talking about spending $2 million for an artist to play for around 10 minutes, you’d be better off spending that money on junior development,” he said.
That remains his strongest argument.
The NRL does not need to outbid the AFL simply to win a largely manufactured entertainment rivalry. If millions of dollars can be redirected towards participation, regional facilities and junior pathways, rugby league could receive considerably greater long-term value.
However, saying the NRL does not need international stars after publicly pursuing one creates an unavoidable contradiction.
Teddy Swims Was an International Headliner
The NRL also selected American singer Teddy Swims to headline its 2025 grand final entertainment.
Swims was an extremely successful choice.
His performance received a largely positive response, while his international popularity gave the NRL an artist with substantial relevance among younger viewers.
The league had also used Australian star The Kid Laroi in 2024, demonstrating that both local and international performers can work when the selection suits the audience.
V’landys is correct that supporters primarily attend the grand final to watch rugby league.
That does not make the pre-match entertainment meaningless.
A grand final is more than an ordinary fixture. It is the sport’s largest television showcase, a major corporate event and an opportunity to reach people who may not watch rugby league every week.
The entertainment does not need to overshadow the match, but a strong performer can enhance the broadcast and create anticipation before kick-off.
NRL Act Is “Nearly Locked In”
V’landys revealed that negotiations with the NRL’s preferred performer are nearing completion.
The identity of the act remains unknown, and the agreement should not be treated as final until the league makes an official announcement.
His comments nevertheless suggest the NRL could return to a predominantly Australian entertainment program.
That would align with the league’s usual preference for homegrown performers and distinguish its approach from the AFL’s recent succession of expensive international bookings.
It would also allow the NRL to argue that it is supporting Australian music without pretending grand final entertainment is unnecessary.
The right local artist could generate enormous interest at a fraction of the amount reportedly required to secure some overseas stars.
However, waiting until September to announce the performer creates its own risk.
The AFL secured Minogue six months before its grand final and has used that time to promote the appearance as a central part of the event.
The NRL is less than a month away from its decider and remains unable to tell supporters who will perform.
AFL Has Already Won the Entertainment Contest
If the debate is judged purely on the headline performer, the AFL has already won.
Minogue is an Australian icon with international recognition, an enormous catalogue of familiar songs and a genuine connection to Melbourne.
The NRL may still announce an outstanding act, but describing the agreement as “nearly locked in” provides little promotional value until the name is revealed.
That does not mean the AFL’s approach represents better use of money.
Grand final entertainment lasts only a small fraction of the afternoon, and even the most impressive production becomes secondary once the match begins.
V’landys is right to resist spending millions merely because another code has done so.
But his criticism would carry considerably more weight if the NRL had not recently booked Teddy Swims, pursued Olivia Dean and continued negotiating with another performer.
The league clearly believes entertainment matters.
The real difference is that V’landys wants it delivered at a more reasonable price.
Rugby League Must Let Its Choice Speak for Itself
The AFL-NRL rivalry regularly produces easy headlines, but the quality of the eventual performance will matter more than another exchange between administrators.
Minogue gives the AFL a proven act capable of appealing across several generations.
The NRL’s mystery performer must be judged once the agreement is completed and the name is announced.
A strong Australian lineup could validate V’landys’ strategy by delivering an entertaining show without an excessive budget.
An underwhelming choice would make his latest attack look like an attempt to diminish the AFL’s coup before the NRL had secured an equivalent attraction.
Rugby league does not need a celebrity to make its grand final compelling.
But if grand final entertainment truly did not matter, V’landys would not still be searching for someone to headline it.
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