Matthew Johns makes compensation claim over RLPA media blackout
Matthew Johns has launched a blistering attack on the players union over their blackout of the media, suggesting the NRL may be within their rights to claw compensation back from the players.
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Newcastle legend turned Fox Sports commentator Matthew Johns has launched a blistering attack on the players union over their blackout of the media, suggesting the NRL may be within their rights to claw compensation back from the players.
Johns, who finished his career at the Knights as Rugby League Players Association chief executive Clint Newton was just starting, claimed the players needed to consider the flow-on effect of their actions for the rest of the game.
“I will preface it by saying I think unions are incredibly important to workplaces,” Johns said on Fox league.
“My old man was heavily involved with the miners union for years and years and years. I am not one of those people that says the players should play and shut up.
“I think it’s really important that the players have say and have sway. But I think the RLPA have done players a great disservice here because primarily the people it affects most are the fans ... and there is such little clarity about what this is about.”
Johns suggested the NRL may be within their rights to seek compensation from the players for breach of contract.
“It is the flow-on effect,” Johns said.
“Let’s have a look at the flow-on effect to Channel Nine who pay huge money for the State of Origin.
“It is not just for the game. It is access to the players, it’s for access to the dressing rooms, access to the teams.
“They would be within their rights if that doesn’t happen next Wednesday to go to the game and say listen, we want compensation, we haven’t got what we paid for.
“Then in turn, the NRL would be within their rights to say to the players, ‘listen that $30,000 you’re getting a game, you’re going to have to give some of that back’.”
John’s Fox League co-commentator Mick Ennis said he could see no way forward.
“I couldn’t agree more with Matty,” Ennis said.
“I feel for the fans and the fans are getting punished. There is a clear breakdown between Andrew Abdo, Peter V’landys and Clint Newton.
“I am with Matty .... it is going to start to swing soon to the greed of the players. I don’t think that is fair.”
Johns added: “How long until it is acted upon as a breach of contract? I think most of the players are confused by it.
“I think most of the players don’t have proper clarity. At the moment, I don’t know what is next. If they try to lever this and this doesn’t work, and the game won’t be bullied, what is the next step?”
Stuart: RLPA exploiting players
Ricky Stuart has slammed the Players Union for hurting the game, adding there would be current players unaware what they were protesting about and were simply being used.
In a typically forthright view from Stuart, the Raiders mentor has become the first NRL coach to decry the RLPA’s decision to freeze out the media as a result of failed CBA negotiations with the NRL.
Stuart said the NRL should be running the game, not the players.
Asked at a Thursday press conference in Canberra if the media blackout by the RLPA hurts the game, Stuart replied: “Yes it does. It’s not your (media) fault.
“I feel sorry for the players. Because I believe if you spoke to 95 per cent of the players they wouldn’t even know why they’re not allowed to talk to the media.
“I think they’re being used. And it’s wrong.
“There’s young boys that have no idea why it’s (media blackout) there.
“I think they’re being used in this regard and I think it’s wrong.
“Our administration will get to the core of it and hopefully fix it.
“We’ve got very strong leadership, they know what is right for the game, they should be running the game, not the players.’’
Maroons roll out legends as media blackout kicks off
Queensland coach Billy Slater has called in the big guns after Maroons players joined the NRL’s media boycott ahead of next week’s Origin finale.
The Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) announced on Wednesday that NRL players would not fulfil media obligations on match days due to an ongoing pay war with the governing body.
That has extended to Origin camps, with Maroons players refusing to face the media at Sanctuary Cove on a scheduled training day on Thursday – the first day of the ban.
That prompted Slater to face the press, with the coach insisting Queensland’s fans were important to the team despite the players refusing to provide content for them.
Instead of Maroons players speaking, Slater has enlisted his all-star coaching staff to do the talking and promote Wednesday night’s dead-rubber at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
Origin legends Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, Nate Myles and Allan Langer will front the cameras along with highly-rated assistant coach Josh Hannay over the coming days.
Slater said he had no opinion on the boycott.
I personally don’t have a reaction to it,” he said.
“The response from the Queensland State of Origin team is the players won’t be speaking to our people over the next few days, but the coaching staff will pick up the slack. We see it as a really important part of our preparation.
“All Queenslanders are a part of our preparation and if you saw the amount of work the players did in the community in Cairns over the last few days … they did a great job connecting with our people.
“This is the position they’re in and I don’t have a reaction to it. The response as Queensland coach is the Queensland people will certainly be part of our preparation. That will be just through our coaching staff now.
“Over the next few days you’ll hear a fair bit from Johnathan Thurston, Josh Hannay, Cameron Smith and Nate Myles. We may even get ‘Alfie’ (Langer) in front of the cameras.
“They know what they’re doing and what’s going on in this camp.”
Given the bizarre ban only includes days when matches are being played, Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans is expected to fulfil his traditional pre-game press conference on Monday.
Cherry-Evans will also speak publicly when he is presented the Origin shield post-match, given Queensland has already wrapped up the series, but media will be banned from the teams’ dressing rooms.
That means there will be no post-game reaction from Queensland players following a potential 3-nil series clean sweep – the first since 2010.
While the boycott was agreed to during Queensland’s fan day trip to Cairns earlier this week, Slater said it would not impact the Maroons’ preparations.
“I don’t think so,” he said.
“If anything they’ll just focus on their preparation. They don’t have to talk to you guys too much.
“They’re very professional guys. It hasn’t been spoken a whole heap about.
“If it’s (ban) still on game day, the staff will do the talking. Queenslanders will still hear from this group.
“It mightn’t be the players, it will be the coaching staff. We are happy to pick up the slack there.”
RLPA respond to strike threat
- Peter Badel
RLPA boss Clint Newton says a player strike is a “last-resort option” as the Players’ Union prepares to enlist an industrial-relations expert to help smoke the peace pipe with the NRL.
There are fears the NRL player boycott on media coverage is the first step towards an unprecedented employee strike that would see the code’s 500-plus contracted stars stand down from playing duties for the first time in rugby league’s history over the protracted CBA saga.
But Newton is hopeful strike action is not on the cards and believes an industrial-relations mediator can help provide a circuit-breaker to what he termed a “player rights war” with the NRL.
“Ultimately a player strike is always an option, but that is absolutely a last resort,” he told this masthead.
“I repeat that strike is an absolute last resort, but we are being pushed into a position where the NRL is saying they are not negotiating anymore.
“It’s basically take it or leave it. Go away.
“OK ... well when you are given a take-it-or-leave-it option, what am I and the players meant to do?
“If you want to call this a war, it’s not a pay war, it’s a war on player rights.
“We believe NRL players should have the right to be properly consulted on issues that affect them.
“The game holds money that the players, clubs and states generate. Players have given up $300 million to where they were pre-Covid to allow the NRL to spend at their discretion.
“We’ve said let’s get an industrial-relations mediator to the table.
“Let’s put our proposals side by side and let an industrial-relations mediator see where it lands.”
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