NRL 2022: Players sick of low-ball CBA offer, Hugh Marks’ big money role in disaster
Kangaroos hooker Harry Grant has joined the chorus of criticism aimed at the NRL, claiming headquarters is low-balling the players who put their bodies on the line every game.
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Melbourne and Kangaroos hooker Harry Grant has some strong thoughts on the current stalemate between the players, the NRL and the clubs.
For starters, he thinks the players are being low-balled as talks between head office and the Rugby League Players Association over a new agreement get bogged down in a messy argument over money.
“For us as players, it’s our livelihood,” Grant said.
“We just need to get something sorted for everyone’s sake. We’ve put enough into this game, for what we get out of it they are low-balling us at the moment the NRL.
“As players we want to get it sorted. The RLPA does a great job for players and they’re negotiating pretty fair with the NRL.
“It is a little mad. I’m not heavily involved, but as a player I’d like to know it’s secure. Everyone is going out there to put their body on the line to bring this great spectacle to the game.
“For all the players have done throughout the year, we can’t get to an agreement at the moment.”
The players have some powerful allies. They have aligned themselves with the clubs, forming an influential cabal as they look to replace the agreement that expired on October 31.
So concerned are ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo, they have cancelled plans to fly to England to be at the final of the World Cup.
Former Nine Network boss Hugh Marks, who was brought in by the ARL Commission to initially oversee the talks, has also offered to return to resolve the stalemate.
At the heart of the issue is the players’ request for a set percentage of the game’s revenue. They also want more autonomy over where that money is spent.
RLPA chief executive Clint Newton is in the north of England and met the Kangaroos players late last week to update them on the state of talks.
Newton is poised to hold further talks with Abdo this week as he attempts to break the stalemate between players and NRL.
The clubs are also heaping pressure on the NRL – South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly, Raiders boss Don Furner and Storm head Justin Rodski are on the funding committee and due to hold talks with the NRL as well.
Meanwhile, frustration continues to grow in the playing ranks as they watch October 31 – the end of the rugby league financial year – come and go without an agreement being reached.
It means clubs are paying players in good faith at the moment, working off the advice of the NRL to operate at a cap of just over $9 million.
The actual cap for 2023 is likely to be closer to $11 million, maybe more.
“We’ve got some players in the squad who are heavily invested, as we all should be,” Grant said.
“It’s our future. At the end of the day we are going out there to put our bodies on the line. We don’t know what our future is going to look like in the game.
“The sooner we can get it sorted, the better for the game. You’ve got a lot of expenses along the way, you have to move out of home to chase your dreams. I think a development contract is $60,000.
“Some blokes are better off getting on the tools and doing whatever. At the end of the day you’re chasing a dream. I think a lot of people don’t realise what we put ourselves through.
“It’s not always that financially rewarding. You can’t really complain, we get to play footy for a living, but it is tough at times.”
EX-9 BOSS WANTS BACK IN ON FUNDING WAR
Former Nine Network boss Hugh Marks has offered to return to the negotiating table and help head office finalise an agreement with players and clubs.
Marks, drafted in by the NRL months ago to help negotiate the collective bargaining agreement and club funding deal, ceased his involvement at the end of September with the talks still in limbo.
News Corp understands that Marks reached out to NRL powerbrokers this week to see whether he could help broker a peace deal as the game finds itself on the brink of civil war.
It is understood the ex-Nine boss felt a deal was on the verge of being reached at the end of September. It is believed he was frustrated as anyone by the slow progress of talks, which became bogged down after an initial target date of mid-June.
The issue has infiltrated Kangaroos camp — vice-captain Isaiah Yeo spoke about the players disappointment after their quarterfinal win over Lebanon.
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“From the players perspective it’s just taken way too long,” Yeo said.
“We spoke about at the start of this season. We put it off because of Origin and finals now there’s no real excuse.
“I don’t think the RLPA is asking for anything crazy or unfair.
“The game is in a really good spot at the moment and the players are a really big part of that, so you’d like to think we’re getting a voice there.”
Email reveals former 9 boss’ role in NRL CBA disaster
—Phil Rothfield
NRL boss Andrew Abdo had hoped former Channel 9 chief executive boss Hugh Marks could solve the game’s funding crisis months ago.
He would be the man to save the game from the horrible mess that it now finds itself in.
An expensive Mr Fixit.
News Corp has obtained an email Abdo sent to the 16 club chief executives on February 23 this year, announcing he had hired Marks to sort out the salary cap and club funding arrangements “by mid-season.”
Not so. Marks has gone missing after walking out of the negotiations for a business trip to the United States in September.
In the email that was sent before the start of the season, Abdo wrote: “We have been fortunate enough to secure Hugh Marks as our project lead and negotiator.
“Hugh has great experience in designing and negotiating commercial deals, understands the evolving IP landscape and has knowledge of the game.
“We are prioritising the preparation and planning now to hopefully finalise an agreement before mid-season.”
Eight months later and still nothing has happened apart from workaholic Abdo stepping in to replace Marks as chief negotiator as the 16 clubs threaten a revolt and the unlikely possibility of setting up a rebel league.
READ ANDREW ABDO’S FULL EMAIL TO NRL CLUB BOSS BELOW
There’s no salary cap, no club funding agreement and no collective bargaining deal.
It has been confirmed Marks is no longer involved outside of the odd phone call to Abdo.
Those inside the negotiations between the clubs, the RLPA and the NRL say he hasn’t been sighted at a meeting since late September.
We can confirm Marks went overseas on a business trip to Los Angeles for his TV production company. Hollywood Hugh.
His arrangement with the NRL was for no set time.
He has been back for several weeks and still occasionally chats to Abdo on the progress of the talks.
The big question is how much did he get paid for his failed attempt to do a deal.
There’s talk it was around the $200,000 mark.
Certainly old television CEOs don’t come much cheaper.
According to sources Marks got close to finalising a deal with the clubs but couldn’t quite get it over the line.
The NRL insists the stalemate is more about the significant number of RLPA claims rather than Marks’ absence.
It was seen as an unusual appointment in the first place considering his stinging criticism of the NRL while he was still the boss of Channel 9 during Covid-19.
It led to the sacking of Todd Greenberg as chief executive.
“This health crisis in our community has highlighted the mismanagement of the code over many years,” Marks said in a statement.
“Nine has invested hundreds of millions in this game over decades and we now find they have profoundly wasted those funds with very little to fall back on to support the clubs, the players and supporters.
“In the past the NRL have had problems and we’ve bailed them out many times including a $50m loan to support clubs when the last contract was signed.
“It would now appear that much of that has been squandered by a bloated head office completely ignoring the needs of the clubs, players and supporters.
“We now find ourselves with a contract that is unfulfilled by the code.”
A bit like his own contract. Unfulfilled.
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