NRL-RLPA CBA deal done: Players and powerbrokers reach peace agreement
The bitter war civil was between the NRL and the players is over hours before a fresh player-driven protest was planned for Round 23. Read the joint statement here.
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Rugby league’s bitter pay war is finally over.
The NRL and RLPA have agreed in principle on the code’s historic first long-form Collective Bargaining Agreement — ending almost two years of bad blood and political bickering between the warring parties.
The NRL confirmed this masthead’s exclusive report on Thursday night, which followed a fresh round of crisis talks over the past 48 hours in a bid to smoke the peace pipe over the most fractious issue in the code.
“The Rugby League Players Association is pleased to advise that it has reached in-principle agreement with the NRL on an historic Collective Bargaining Agreement,” the statement read.
“Once ratified, this agreement will set rugby league up for the future while ensuring the rights of all NRL and NRLW players - current and future - are protected.
“The in-principle agreement will be presented to the Australian Rugby League Commission and Rugby League Players’ Association for ratification in the coming days.
“Player-led action for this weekend will be cancelled.
“The RLPA acknowledges the efforts of the NRL to resolve the CBA in recent days, and thanks its members for their resolve in ensuring a fair agreement that benefits the game and all of its stakeholders.”
NRL stars were poised to ramp-up a public fight for their rights for the start of round 24 by uniting in an on-field circle for a minute before kick-off.
It was set to be the latest act of defiance following a media boycott and the use of tape to conceal the NRL logo during premiership games a fortnight ago.
But the series of player protests — including a mooted snubbing of the prestigious Dally M Awards — are officially over after NRL and RLPA executives shook hands on Thursday night on a landmark five-year deal.
The crisis talks began on Wednesday and were finalised on Thursday following a meeting of minds involving ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo, RLPA chair Deidre Anderson and RLPA chief executive Clint Newton.
South Sydney boss Blake Solly was also a pivotal figure in the last-ditch meeting which finally cracked the Mexican stand-off and provided the crucial CBA breakthrough many in the code feared would never come.
The inaugural long-form CBA will be formalised pending the drafting of documents and RLPA members ratifying the deal.
If the players vote to rubber-stamp the CBA, they will celebrate the biggest wage windfall in the code’s 115-year history — a $1.347 billion bonanza that provides a financial bedrock for a new era of NRL and NRLW professionalism.
Top-secret documents, obtained by this masthead, show the NRL has upped the ante financially to reward the code’s male and female players until the end of 2027.
It can be revealed:
● The NRL’s accepted offer is $1.347 billion, a 37 per cent increase in total player payments to the previous deal of $980m;
● The average NRL male player’s salary will rise by almost $63,000 — from $338,976 in 2022 to $401,823 this season;
● The NRL’s minimum salary will rise by 63 per cent to $120,000 this season, reaching $140,000 in 2027;
● The NRL has pledged to provide $115 million to the player benefits pool including superannuation and injury-hardship funds; and
● Of that $115 million, an extra $32m has been set aside by the NRL pending RLPA and player delegate feedback on how best to distribute the additional funds.
The NRL and RLPA were at loggerheads to such an extent that no resolution was seemingly on the horizon, with Abdo and Newton’s negotiating relationship said to have reached toxic levels.
Talks had reached a stalemate until the RLPA extended an olive branch on Tuesday, requesting the resumption of talks as V’landys and Solly stepped up their roles.
It is understood there were approximately 10 agenda items to be resolved when negotiations resumed on Wednesday, before peace was finally achieved on Thursday afternoon as the parties finally settled their differences.
On Monday, V’landys slammed suggestions he was running an NRL dictatorship, claiming the protracted pay dispute with the RLPA could be resolved within two days.
“This delay has cost the game millions of dollars in opportunities because we are wasting our time on the CBA and commercial opportunities are being lost,” V’landys said last week.
“The loser is the game and if the game loses, the players lose.
“If the RLPA really wants an agreement, we could get this done in two days.”
The ARLC chairman was true to his word.
V’landys took offence at suggestions the ARL Commission was not looking after the players with the code’s first $1 billion CBA offer.
“I have never heard anything more ludicrous in my life,” he said.
“We are trying to look after the players.
“Our actions at all times has been to look after them.
“There hasn’t been one issue where we’re trying to undermine the players.
“We’ve offered them the first $1 billion deal in the NRL’s history.
“I have enormous respect for the players.
“They are the great athletes of our game.”
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