Cronulla Sharks star James Maloney hits out at ‘smug’ NRL over delayed CBA talks

JAMES Maloney has hit out at the NRL for its reluctance to give players a fair share of the code’s revenue, labelling its handling of negotiations “smug”.

JAMES Maloney has hit out at the NRL for its reluctance to give the players a fair share of the code’s revenue, labelling its handling of negotiations “smug”.

The Cronulla five-eighth says the players are angered by the NRL’s unwillingness to reach an agreement over the RLPA’s wishes for fixed revenue, squad sizes and the salary cap.

Maloney, an RLPA board member, said these feelings have reached boiling point after both parties failed to come to an agreement after two days of intense negotiations in Sydney this week.

Two weeks after expressing his frustration at delayed talks prior to Origin I, Maloney again made his feelings towards the game’s administration clear.

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Maloney says the players haven’t ruled out a strike.

The RLPA is calling for a fixed revenue of 29 per cent, which the NRL has rejected.

Maloney said the players, who held a union meeting on Wednesday, haven’t ruled out strike action.

“The NRL still seem pretty adamant that they don’t want to give us a share of the revenue, which is very disappointing and a bit mind-boggling as to why they are so against it,” Maloney told The Daily Telegraph.

“The meetings with the NRL in some areas probably covered some ground, but I think both sides are still a way apart.

“I don’t really think the NRL were there to negotiate. They still seem to think we’ll give you this or we’ll give you that and you take what you get.

“The players seemed to think that they (the NRL) had a real smug attitude. They weren’t really there to negotiate. They were there to say this is what we can and can’t do.

“It’s disappointing, but to be truthful it wasn’t really unexpected unfortunately.”

Maloney believes the NRL came to dictate, rather than negotiate.

Maloney is particularly disappointed NRL CEO Todd Greenberg didn’t attend the important two-day meeting between the RLPA and the governing body.

“I suppose that just goes to show a bit of the attitude towards the playing group,” he said.

“Todd couldn’t even find two days in his schedule to turn up. You’d think it was one of the bigger issues in the game at the moment, so you’d think it should be a priority.

“I think there is a big gap between the NRL and the playing group at the moment and something needs to be done to bridge that.”

The NSW five-eighth said the players would consider all options, including a strike, to ensure they receive their fair share from the game’s revenue.

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Maloney said the players want professionalism and honesty from the NRL, especially when it comes to spending.

“It does seem strange that they (the NRL) still seem to be reluctant to admit that they have spent money incorrectly and wastefully,” he said.

“That still seems to be something that they can’t admit to. But as a playing group, we want to be involved in helping grow and drive the game.”

A spokesman for the NRL said chief operating officer Nick Weeks was heading up the CBA negotiations so Greenberg did not feel the need to attend this week’s meeting.

“The meeting this week was largely aimed at giving players information about the game’s finances and it was appropriate that Nick headed up those talks.”

Meanwhile, Maloney says his request for a contract upgrade won’t force him to leave Cronulla with a year remaining on his deal.

“There have been a lot of reports that there are all these clubs (interested) and that I’ll go, but I’d struggle to see that,” he said.

“Cronulla don’t seem to want to let me go and I’m happy there.”

Maloney confirmed he’d like more money and was confident he would work with Cronulla to achieve his request.

Sharks coach Shane Flanagan said Maloney was “contracted to the club and I’d like to think he’ll be here next year”.

“I understand that there’s some other clubs that would pay him big money, but at the moment he’s contracted to us,” he said.

“Jimmy signed a contract a couple of years ago that if he was on the open market, there’s no doubt he’d earn more money.”