AI's Impact on Rugby League Transformation

Published Date : 20/07/2025 

The Canterbury Bulldogs have embraced AI across their operations, from coaching to marketing. This cutting-edge technology is set to transform the way rugby league is played and managed. 

It was a throwaway comment on Phil Gould’s Six Tackles with Gus podcast that first raised eyebrows among rugby league insiders. During a recent episode, the Canterbury general manager of football mentioned how artificial intelligence was being used “for everything” at the club, before discussing how AI could fundamentally shake up rugby league as we know it.

When pressed for details about the Bulldogs’ AI implementation, Gould casually disclosed that the Bulldogs had developed a customised AI system through chairman Adam Driussi’s company, Quantium. “He’s actually modified a version of AI for the Bulldogs,” Gould explained. “Our coaches use it, our staff use it, our marketing and administrative team use it.”

The revelation came as Gould demonstrated the AI capabilities in real time, quickly highlighting how deeply embedded AI has become in the club’s daily operations. Describing the technology as “absolutely extraordinary”, Gould explained how the club had uploaded “our whole constitution, we’ve put all our salary cap, we’ve put all our contracts, we’ve put all our employment contracts, all our administration” into their AI system.

Further investigation reveals the club is indeed leveraging cutting-edge AI technology across multiple facets of its operations, though those involved are understandably protective of any details that might provide competitive advantages.

Driussi was reluctant to share too many details, but confirmed that the club was using AI across various aspects of operations. “We’re applying AI capabilities to help us work more efficiently across different areas of the club,” Driussi says. “It’s about using technology to support better decision-making, whether that’s in football operations, commercial activities, or administrative functions.”

Pressed on specifics, Driussi was diplomatically vague: “We’re exploring multiple AI applications, but competitive advantage comes from execution, not just ideas. The technology helps us analyse information and identify patterns that might otherwise be missed.”

What makes the Bulldogs’ AI adoption particularly intriguing is Driussi’s other role as CEO of Quantium, an Australian artificial intelligence and advanced analytics company. The firm works with major Australian companies, such as Woolworths, Commonwealth Bank, Telstra, and Qantas. The connection provides the Bulldogs access to world-class AI expertise that would typically cost NRL clubs millions of dollars to develop themselves.

While Driussi is careful not to discuss any formal arrangements, the potential for knowledge transfer is obvious. The “Family Club” previously revealed it used AI to identify Jacob Preston during his recruitment from the Roosters’ pathways system, suggesting the technology has been instrumental in some of their personnel decisions.

AI’s influence on sport was one of the topics discussed at the NRL’s Business of Sport Conference in Las Vegas at the University of Nevada, just before this year’s season-opening matches at Allegiant Stadium. The headline speakers were Driussi and Paul Devlin, the latter the global strategy leader for betting, gaming, and sports technology at Amazon Web Services.

Devlin, who has held high-performance roles at the Brisbane Broncos, South Sydney, Parramatta, and Melbourne Storm, said AI would transform the sporting landscape. “We see AI as absolutely revolutionary, and we think it will impact every area of business in the future,” Devlin says. “So everybody should be experimenting with it right now, so that was kind of the key message that came out of that NRL event … AI is going to improve every area of business, but it is really clear on the insight generation from the data side of it in a sport like rugby league on talent identification, load monitoring, safety of the games through simulations, as well as the fan side of sport as well.”

Several NRL clubs are already dabbling with AI. One leading head coach, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect the club’s intellectual property, said that AI had the potential to help analysts wade through reams of data to come up with a couple of key takeaways when preparing for an opponent. “That’s where I see the next step in world sport, how AI can save you time in identifying those trends so you’re not wasting time doing it yourself,” the coach says. “The advantage you get is saving man-hours, so you actually spend less time on computers and more with the players. You can see the information that’s relevant; missed tackles is the most outdated stat because there’s no context to it. And completion rates; seven of the top-10 completing teams didn’t make the finals last year.”

Here’s a practical example of how AI is being used. One club found the best way to beat the Storm is to limit their time in possession. If you can restrict them to less than 23 minutes and 25 seconds with the football – they average 26 minutes and 36 seconds – you have an almost 100 per cent chance of winning. Not easy to do in reality, but it’s useful information. While most NRL teams focus heavily on pre-contact metres – the distance gained before first defensive contact – to build momentum, a different focus is required to beat Canberra. AI found the Raiders were uniquely driven by post-contact metres, those tough yards gained after contact. Limit those metres, and you can stop the Green Machine. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the role of AI in rugby league?

A: AI is being used to analyze data, identify patterns, and make better decisions in various aspects of rugby league, including coaching, talent identification, and game strategy.

Q: How is the Canterbury Bulldogs using AI?

A: The Bulldogs are using a custom AI system developed by Quantium to enhance their operations, from coaching and player recruitment to marketing and administration.

Q: What is Quantium's role in this AI implementation?

A: Quantium, an Australian AI and analytics company, is providing the Bulldogs with world-class AI expertise, which would typically be very expensive for NRL clubs to develop on their own.

Q: How does AI help in talent identification?

A: AI can analyze large amounts of data to identify potential talent, such as the Bulldogs’ recruitment of Jacob Preston from the Roosters’ pathways system.

Q: What are some practical applications of AI in rugby league?

A: AI can help in game strategy by identifying key statistics, such as limiting the Storm’s possession time or focusing on post-contact metres to stop the Raiders.