Only 30 per cent of NRL players cited money as a reason to change clubs, according to a timely Rugby League Players’ Association survey conducted just as the game prepares to expand into new markets.
An RLPA Player’s Pulse poll of its members, numbering more than 700 male and female respondents, provided a range of insights into satisfaction levels with clubs and agents. The most intriguing finding stemmed from their motivation to change teams.
While 80 per cent of the broader Australian workforce cited financial gain and easing cost of living as their driver to change jobs, less than one in three players were driven by money to change teams.
The insights are timely given the NRL just granted PNG a licence to enter the competition in 2028, while a Perth franchise could soon be given the nod to come in a year earlier.
PNG hopes the lure of tax-free status will be an extra incentive for prospective targets, but the survey results suggest most players will prioritise other considerations.
“Total remuneration is, of course, important to players as it is to anyone in the community,” said RLPA chief executive Clint Newton.
“However, what primarily motivates players to sign for other clubs is, on the whole, not driven purely by financial terms. That has been consistent for many years in our surveys of our members.”
Penrith co-captain Isaah Yeo said the tax concessions would make it hard for players to ignore the franchise.
“Safety would be the first one you’d need to [address],” Yeo said on Friday after being awarded the Gold Boot award for best international player for 2024.
“There are obviously [tax] perks. It will be interesting to see how everything looks in two years’ time when all the creases have been ironed out and problems solved.
“There are financial benefits. There might be fringe players here who want to go over for the chance to become regular first-graders, and those who want to experience a different culture.
“If you’re getting paid $1.6 million and not getting taxed on it, it might not be as hard as you think to get [a marquee player].”
Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has spent a lot of time in Papua New Guinea, and believes there will be a numer of players willing to make the move, especially with the tax concessions. “It’s a beautiful country that has a lot of beautiful people,” Meninga said.
A total of 41 per cent of players had represented just one club, a further 41 per cent had played at two, 13 per cent had played at three and 5 per cent had played for four.
Of those on the move, 48 per cent said their decision boiled down to issues with their previous club, including the coaching and high-performance set-up (22 per cent) or a poor culture (21 per cent). A further 42 per cent shifted because they were told their current club wouldn’t offer them a new deal.
“Shoulder-tapping is a blight on the culture of too many clubs and has forced players to find new employers or run the risk of facing some form of retribution or exclusion,” Newton said.
“It’s an area we are constantly vigilant on, as we are with the whole workplace environment at clubs, club staff, high-performance standards and facilities.
“Our survey results prove that players are looking at more than just dollar figures when they move clubs, with their families, workplace environments, and playing opportunities topping that list of preferences.”
Factors relating to new clubs were influential for 40 per cent of players indicating they are seeking holistic improvements and improved career prospects rather than just money. Notable draws for players were improved playing opportunities (56 per cent), better locations for family and personal life (35 per cent) and enhanced culture (20 per cent).
A poll has revealed the real reasons why players stay or choose to move clubs.
“With the announcement of PNG these survey results really show that the game will need to do more than throw money at players and offer tax incentives if expansion clubs are to build really competitive squads,” Newton said.
“Some clubs still need to look at the bigger picture for players and what a new contract will do for their careers, their personal lives, their families and their legacies.
“That goes for any expansion club whether it be PNG, or Perth, New Zealand, Queensland or any of the other options the Commission is looking at.”
Players were asked to rate their club on a number of different levels, resulting in them being an overall satisfaction rating. South Sydney was the top-ranked NRL club.
“As a club we’re naturally pleased and proud to score so highly in an independent survey completed by the players’ association,” said Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly.
NRLW players were also polled and club satisfaction was highest at Parramatta.
“We have made significant investments in our women’s program to provide the staff, support and infrastructure necessary for our female players to succeed,” said Parramatta CEO Jim Sarantinos.
“It’s wonderful to see that our players appreciate these efforts, but it’s also important to recognise that they have played a key role in shaping the culture they are a part of.”
Players were also quizzed about their relationships with their agents, who combined make more than $14 million in client fees. The survey found those players with between two and five seasons of experience were the cohort most dissatisfied with their managers.
Additional reporting Christian Nicolussi