ARU must show players respect and lift damaging contract freeze, writes Brendan Cannon

THE first step towards fixing Australia’s Super Rugby crisis is to lift the huge levels of anxiety off the players. The ARU must end the contracting ban. Now.

The Rebels run through fireworks onto the field for the round 12 Super Rugby match versus the Queensland Reds.

THE first step towards fixing Australia’s Super Rugby crisis is to lift the huge levels of anxiety off the players.

How? The ARU must end the contracting ban. Immediately.

When it became clear the ARU may cut a team at the start of the tear, officials instituted a contracting freeze.

The logic was they didn’t want dozens of players signing contracts with a team that may not exist next year.

​Given they’ve pledged to honour all contracts already in place, they are trying to minimise their liability.

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That seemed mildly understandable when it was put in place for a few weeks.

But it is has been months and, as far as we know, there is no end in sight.

​Could this last all year? Would the ARU deem it reasonable to have a contract freeze all season? Who knows.

It is well-past time to lift the ban.

That would give the ARU impetus to provide a solution as quickly as possible. It is almost a restraint of trade, I’d argue.

The Melbourne Rebels are stuck in limbo. Picture: Getty Images

I understood the ARU’s initial reasoning but the thing that can’t be forgotten — or dismissed — is each athlete has a family, they have support networks, they have leases or mortgages, they may have childcare or kids in school.

But it’s a bit rough to simply live your life, sitting and waiting for your employer to resolve a problem you had absolutely no fault in creating.

With no firm information or timeline, the anxiety of that wait, as put by Rebels assistant coach Morgan Turinui this week, is now raising concerns about players’ mental health.

It was what prompted RUPA to support an ARU EGM this week.

People need to understand recruitment windows​ around the world are rapidly closing, if not closed.

Samu Kerevi is congratulated by Reds teammates after scoring the winning try against the Rebels. Picture: AAP

So what do you do if you’re an off-contract Australian player at the Rebels or the Force?

Unlike guys on contract, you are not guaranteed to be rehoused by the ARU, your current team may not exist next year and overseas options are drying up.

Or maybe you are a player at the Waratahs, Brumbies or Reds and you think a Rebels or Force Test player who plays your position is destined for your club next year. But you, too, can’t sign elsewhere.

None of us can truly appreciate what that situation feels like. That anxiety.

The comfort of job security​ — in any industry — ​ ​is ​under-appreciated when you have it.

Legal issues, they say, mean it will take time. We don’t have time here. We have people’s lives on the line.

Western Force's lock Ross Haylett-Petty runs with the ball. Picture: AFP

​Some people may say players are too entitled and job security is unrealistic in professional sport.

Players understand that but the ARU has locked the door on them on exercising their right to pursue alternatives.

Sure, ending the freeze may end up costing the ARU more money than it wanted to spend.

But if the governing body is prepared to outlay $6 million to buy the Rebels licence, then readjusting the clean-up budget to include a compensation fund and give players peace of mind must be on the table.

I saw the Australian Cricketers Association say it simply wants to be treated by Cricket Australia as partners.

Bravo. This is exactly what Australian rugby players want as well.

They want to be shown some respect and dignity and be given back their rights as partners in Australian rugby.

The ARU needs to end the freeze and stop severely mistreating the players.

It needs to stop looking down on Australian rugby players and start looking them in the eye.