NRL 2022: Players set to share in $30 million slice of recouped cash from NRL after Covid pay cuts

Players who sacrificed their pay to help the NRL survive the Covid crisis are set to share a big slice of the millions recouped by their union from the NRL.

NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 12: Nathan Cleary of the Panthers celebrates his try with Jarome Luai of the Panthers during the round 14 NRL match between the Newcastle Knights and the Penrith Panthers at McDonald Jones Stadium, on June 12, 2022, in Newcastle, Australia. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***

The NRL players union is set to hand back millions to the players who sacrificed their pay in 2020 to help the game survive the Covid crisis.

The Rugby League Players Association met with their player advisory group on Tuesday night to determine how to allocate the $30 million they recouped from the NRL after a financial interrogation of head office’s books.

News Corp understands the lion’s share of that money will be directed to the players who took 20 per cent pay cuts in 2020 when the code was in the grips of Covid.

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NRL players are set to get a big slice of the $30 million recouped from the NRL. Picture: Ashley Feder/Getty Images

RLPA chief executive Clint Newton confirmed the players and the board had decided that the vast majority of the $30 million should go to the players who suffered the biggest financial hit over the past three years.

“This is a demonstration that the current players respect the incredible sacrifice the players made during that period and that they want to look after those who dug the well,” Newton said.

“They believe it is the right thing to do by those players and those who suffered the biggest losses during uncertain times.

“The reality is those players are the ones who gave the game the chance to survive. I think it is a great reflection of the quality of people we have got in that they recognise the past and want to make sure they look after them.”

RLPA chief executive Clint Newton. Picture: AAP Image/James Gourley

The union managed to recoup $30 million in backpay for the past three years after conducting an investigation of the NRL’s finances.

The NRL had initially offered $11 million but a deep dive into the NRL’s books found an additional $19 million that was due to be returned to the players.

Players union representative Christian Welch said the players who were hit the hardest deserved to be rewarded.

“It is pretty logical that we reward those players,” Welch said.

“At the same time, they took the biggest cut based on the NRL numbers and the numbers were off considerably. So they deserve to be compensated.”