Former Kangaroo Matthew Johns says rugby league could be the number one sport in New Zealand if the game plans correctly and rugby union is in the firing line.

“If anyone should be fearful it should be the New Zealand Rugby Union” Johns wrote in his column for The Daily Telegraph.

“Super Rugby ratings and attendances across the Tasman are waning. If the NRL does things right, rugby league could one day soon be the No. 1 sport in New Zealand.

“The NRL needs to take control and be responsible in how it continues to promote and grow the game. Not just in New Zealand, but also in areas of tremendous growth like Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

At the moment it’s a one-way relationship — they provide the talent and our clubs steal it.

The NRL needs to have a serious look at who is in charge of developing the game in the Pacific nations and how it’s being grown.”