NRL coronavirus pay cuts: Paul White says players know what’s coming

Broncos CEO Paul White says NRL players “know what’s coming” as the Brisbane boss heads-up a four-man taskforce to discuss wage cuts for the league’s athletes.

BRONCOS boss Paul White has advised NRL stars to brace for pay cuts as he today prepares to represent the 16 clubs in urgent negotiations with the Rugby League Players Association.

White will head-up a four-man taskforce, also comprising Souths’ Blake Solly, Roosters’ Joe Kelly and Canterbury’s Andrew Hill, when they convene with the RLPA today to thrash out a new financial landscape for players in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

AFL players have agreed to a 50 per cent pay cut until May 31 and at this stage there has been no definitive figure on the reduction NRL players are facing until RLPA boss Clint Newton receives full financial details from the ARL Commission.

Broncos stars are facing a massive pay cut for the 2020 season. Picture: Annette Dew

White says he has no interest in going to war with the RLPA, conceding there is a general pragmatism from the code’s top stars that they must take a financial hit to ensure the NRL’s survival.

Asked if he will advocate immediate pay cuts in discussions with the RLPA, White said: “Everyone knows what’s coming.

“The penny has dropped right across all industries and our industry.

“The players are represented by the RLPA which is a signatory to the funding agreement which the NRL and clubs are a part of. It’s not an adversarial position, we are all in this position together.

“Our players are acutely aware that staff will be losing their jobs.

“The discussion (with the RLPA) will be an enabling discussion. We are in the teeth of the negotiation from where we are now to where we need to be at the back end of the season.

“Hopefully we can survive into 2021 and build again.”

White said the Broncos – the richest club in the code – were prepared to support the views of ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys, who has vowed to do everything possible to ensure the survival of all 16 teams,

There are suggestions some club CEOS have baulked at additional funding aid to save some struggling clubs from going broke, but White says it is imperative the NRL prevents teams from going broke.

Broncos CEO Paul White speaks to the media. Picture: AAP Image/Josh Woning

Asked about a possible club revolt over funding allocation, White said: “We will be supportive of whatever action the NRL needs to take collectively to keep our game alive.

“No-one has an answer at the moment. This is a volatile time not just for our game but look at the lines at Centrelink and people of all persuasions standing in line seeking support. That’s tough for our community. We don’t stand in isolation.

“I was on the phone with a number of CEOs this morning, we are keeping each other abreast of what we are doing individually. Our game is supported by broadcasting rights money and that’s at significant risk, so for the game to support the clubs they need determination on where the broadcast rights money sits.

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“What they can and can’t do will be determined by that.”

White said the Broncos are reluctant to follow the lead of the Bulldogs, who have stood down head coach Dean Pay and other staff without pay effective immediately.

“There are some clubs in Sydney who have moved overnight and players and coaches have been stood down with immediate effect,” he said.

“We want to communicate with our staff before we take those sorts of decisions.

“Rest assured the Broncos are a club that cares about all our people, our members and our sponsors. We are doing it tough and we will come out the other side not knowing over the six months what can happen.”