By Adrian Proszenko, Zoe Samios and Adam Pengilly
The NRL has hit back after the players’ union announced plans to boycott media duties, including at next week’s State of Origin game, in a move that has further soured relations with head office.
After months of fruitless talks between the Rugby League Players’ Association and the NRL, 50 senior player representatives agreed on Tuesday night to abandon all media commitments on days when an NRL, NRLW or State of Origin match is to be played.
It means broadcasters such as Nine Entertainment Co – the publishers of this masthead – and Foxtel won’t be able to interview players before or after the Origin finale in Sydney next Wednesday night.
Some of the players at the meeting had expressed a desire for further industrial action, the last lever they have left to pull. That could remain an option in the future if the current action does not have the desired effect.
“Some players believe this is not hard enough given that we are 20 months into negotiations,” RLPA chief executive Clint Newton said.
“Just let that sink in. We shouldn’t be here, and we don’t want to be here, but we are hoping this is a circuit-breaker to these negotiations to get good outcomes for everyone.”
RLPA chief Clint Newton (right) and souths star Tom Burgess on Wednesday.Credit: Rhett Wyman
The RLPA called a press conference, attended by Rabbitohs prop Tom Burgess and NRLW star Jakiya Whitfield, at the Novotel on Darling Harbour on Wednesday afternoon to outline its position.
“The NRL have a pretty easy option,” Burgess said. “They can stop all of this.”
The NRL has been accused of “union-busting tactics” and attempting to “buy off players” throughout the long and ugly negotiations. The RLPA said the NRL wanted to have control over additional match scheduling, player data rights and where its funding is channelled. The NRL insists it has acted reasonably on those and other sticking points.
The move is likely to upset the broadcasters, the source of about two-thirds of the game’s revenue, who declined to comment. However, the boycott elicited a rebuke from NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo, who said “thousands of hours” had been dedicated to resolving the dispute.
‘We are 20 months into negotiations. Let that sink in.’
RLPA chief Clint Newton
“This is a landmark deal because not only does it represent $1.347 billion, or a 37 per cent increase in player payments in relation to the prior deal, it also represents a significant increase in the salary cap of 25.4 per cent immediately,” Abdo said.
The ARL Commission will meet to discuss the next steps, although they remain unclear. The relationship between Abdo and Newton was already at breaking point, chairman Peter V’landys is currently overseas on leave, while the task of promoting a dead-rubber third Origin game just became more difficult.
Under the terms of the boycott, players will refrain from speaking to the media from the first match of the week through to the conclusion of the round. That includes preview stories and game-day interactions such as pre- and post-game media conferences.
Asked if player wages should be docked given the game’s reliance on, and relationship with, broadcasters, Abdo said: “I’m not going to answer that question.
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo.Credit: Edwina Pickles
“There’s a number of conversations that need to happen and those need to happen through focusing on getting a deal done.
“But what I will say is it is disappointing for our broadcast partners who do invest a lot, and they are key partners in the game.”
Newton claimed that the NRL was unable to close out a number of important deals with major stakeholders.
“As one of the leaders in our game, I am fearful and concerned about the trajectory of our game, with all major stakeholder agreements unsigned, unresolved and unannounced,” Newton said.
“These include the NRL and NRLW CBA, club licensing agreements, NSWRL and QRL member agreements, NRL and NRLW grand final venue and location, and International Rugby League schedule and structure. We need to come together and provide certainty for everyone, this must be a non-negotiable.”
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