Broncos’ Sam Thaiday worried about effect NRL riches will have on players’ relationship with fans

SAM Thaiday says he hopes working-class supporters do not feel disconnected from players on an average wage of $330,000 under the NRL’s new pay proposal.

RLPA CEO Ian Prendergast speaks for the players at the meeting. Picture: Brett Costello

SAM Thaiday says he hopes working-class supporters do not feel disconnected from players on an average wage of $330,000 under the NRL’s new pay proposal.

That amount is more than double what Wally Lewis was paid when he signed with the Broncos in 1988.

Thaiday asked the game’s working-class fans to remember that a league career is only short.

As expected, the Rugby League Players Association membership elected not to adopt the proposal presented by the NRL last week to increase total financial commitment to the players by 52 per cent in a new collective bargaining agreement.

RLPA CEO Ian Prendergast speaks for the players at the meeting. Picture: Brett Costello

Fringe players would be paid a minimum wage of $120,000 a year for being in the top 25 players at a club under the NRL proposal.

“They are very lucky boys. I can remember my first contract at the Broncos had a lot less zeros than that,’’ said Thaiday, who attended a teleconference in Brisbane with the main meeting in Sydney.

“It is very hard (to explain the pay rises to the public). But we have to try to set ourselves up at a youngish age.

“What we do in the game can be very dangerous. One run, one tackle can change your life. Look at a bloke like Alex McKinnon.”

The meeting attracted a huge amount of NRL talent. Picture: Brett Costello

RLPA CEO Ian Prendergast said the players remained at odds with the NRL over “key financial and non-financial aspects’’ of the proposal while claiming they were content with the offered $9.4 million salary cap.

Prendergast said it was disappointing that clubs and the NRL has portrayed the players “as greedy’’, although he said a CBA agreement with the NRL could be achieved in weeks.

Sydney players spokesman James Maloney said he and other players baulked at demands by the NRL last Friday to aid their integrity policing.

“Would you hand over your (bank and phone) records to your boss? It seems unreasonable,’’ Maloney said.

“I don’t think it’s necessary. We want to keep the sport scandal-free. We want our privacy and want to be treated fairly.’’

Prendergast claimed “more than enough revenue’’ would be left for the NRL to administer game outside the elite competition after the players received the fixed-income percentage and other benefits the RLPA wants.

The RLPA repeated that players had the option of boycotting the Dally M Awards or the World Cup matches as a last resort.

“We have a month before that (the Dally Ms). We can’t rule it out,’’ Prendergast said.

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