NRL and club bosses agree to submit $9.4 million salary cap proposal to RLPA

RUGBY league’s salary cap standoff took a serious step towards resolution after the NRL and club bosses agreed to a cap limit for 2018.

NRL rugby league football club

CLUBS have turned up the heat on their players to accept an upgraded salary cap of $9.4 million after agreeing to a deal with the NRL on Thursday.

The pre-planned fireworks fizzled when club chairs and chief executives agreed to unanimously endorse Todd Greenberg’s offer at the NRL’s Moore Park headquarters.

Greenberg will hope he holds the same sway with the Rugby League Players Association, which needs to tick off on a collective bargaining agreement when the two parties meet on Friday.

It is understood the NRL and RLPA are close to agreeing to a final salary cap number but there are a host of other issues which remain potential roadblocks to a deal being signed.

The club bosses had a meeting with the NRL on Thursday.

They include a guaranteed revenue share, agreement rights in relation to major decisions affecting player employment conditions and increased integrity matters.

Before Thursday’s’s meeting the game was split down the middle.

Some clubs wanted the cap to rise to as high as $9.6 million, while others asked for it to remain at $9.2 million.

But Greenberg rallied opposing forces and the result was what multiple club bosses described as the “smoothest and most cordial” meeting yet.

The key elements of the offer are:

● A $9.1 million base salary cap plus $100,000 car allowance;

● AN optional figure of up to $200,000 to be spent on a veteran/development player. A veteran player is one who has played at a club for eight seasons or who has spent 10 or more seasons in the NRL. A developed player is one who has been contracted to his current club for two or more continuous years before their first NRL top-30 contract. The allowance is available until a player turns 22;

Bulldogs boss Ray Dib said the club would have to consider shedding players.

● A PLANNED $400,000 integrity unit bonus has been scrapped;

● EACH club is allowed three to six development players outside the top 30 at $60,000 per player.

“This is an important step but we are still in negotiations with the RLPA,” Greenberg said. “Getting the clubs to agree on a package is very important for the game and especially the players.

“The clubs are all in different positions in relation to the salary cap next year, which makes it even more significant that they united today to agree on a figure.”

Clubs left the meeting armed with six talking points from the NRL to stress the “unity” within the ranks and to describe the salary cap as a record pay rise and a huge win for the players.

While the cap has risen, it will still force Canterbury to shed about $600,000 worth of talent.

Canterbury chairman Ray Dib, who was among the leading agitators before the meeting, said it was a “good outcome for everyone”.

“We are very happy with it actually. It’s close to what we wanted,” Dib said before admitting his club would “consider” shedding players.

Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe said: “The outcome is that it is a great deal for players. They should be thrilled by it.”