NRL players and club bosses at loggerheads over return to training

The NRL’s player dramas may not be over yet as angry club bosses prepare to take on the playing group and its union.

ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys: ‘The Queensland government has done a great job containing the virus and we won’t let them down.’ Picture: Jonathan Ng

The NRL’s player dramas may not be over yet as angry club bosses prepare to take on players and their union should they insist on taking two days off training to digest the biosecurity protocols that will govern the game’s return.

Club chief executives had their patience tested during a two-hour phone hook-up with the players’ union on Friday afternoon, having been told that the players would attend an education session on Monday but then possibly need up to 48 hours to absorb its requirements.

There is a school of thought among some clubs that if the players opt not to train on Tuesday and Wednesday, they should not be paid. Others suggest that if individual players have concerns, they can sit out training and risk forgoing their money.

However, there is an expectation that the remaining players will take part in training. On Friday morning, ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys did his best to pacify the players by guaranteeing he would do his best to ensure they were paid 80 per cent of their salaries for this season.

At that meeting, V’landys was told that the players may need time to come to grips with the biosecurity demands surrounding their return.

While V’landys was in a placatory mood, things turned nasty at the end of another long day for rugby league. It is understood Rugby League Players Association chief executive Clint Newton was only on the hook-up with club bosses for a short time before leaving to attend to other matters.

That prompted one club boss to ask what could be more important than the conversation they were having. It was then left to Adrian Turner, the RLPA’s general manager of legal and player representation, to bear the brunt of an angry ensemble of chief executives.

Their mood soured dramatically when Turner told the clubs that the players may need as many as two days to digest the biosecurity information.

It is understood NRL head of football Graham Annesley responded by pointing out the biosecurity protocols had been pieced together by a specialist — associate professor David Heslop (an expert in major disasters and infectious diseases). Annesley said Heslop had been deeply involved in the process and that Newton was also involved via Project Apollo.

The protocols have also been approved by the government. There is no wriggle room. The players have no choice if they want the competition to resume.

RLPA legal counsel Tim Lythe is believed to have entered the conversation for a short time during the hook-up and insisted nothing was set in stone. Newton also told journalists during a phone hook-up on Friday afternoon that the players had made no decision on their plans.

Newton later spoke to club bosses again and the mood was slightly more optimistic.

“We received some written guarantees which Peter has committed to providing which is fantastic,” Newton said.

“Protocols are necessary and sophisticated. (The players may return) on Tuesday or that may be Wednesday. There is nothing holding the process up.

“It’s more making sure they understand their obligations and expectations around what the biosecurity (protocols) are.

“It’s not about players taking any days off, it’s about ensuring the players understand their obligations.”

Club chief executives were expected to hold another meeting late on Friday night to unify their stance but they are in no mood for rebellion given the players have been paid for May and staff at their clubs are relying on the players returning to training and playing.

The issue hasn’t been helped by the ongoing stoush with the broadcasters over payment for this season. V’landys will hold further talks with Foxtel and the Nine Network next week as he looks to bed down a deal and he will do so with the security of knowing that he has the support of the Queensland government, which on Friday cleared the way for the state’s three clubs to train and play at home. “This is a critical decision for rugby league and a win for the players, clubs, fans and the wider community,” V’landys said.

“I can’t express enough our appreciation to the Queensland government. I have great respect for the premier and it is a tribute to her strong leadership that she has kept an open mind through this process.

The New Zealand Warriors, however, remain in limbo, their flights booked and their bags packed for the trip to Tamworth where they will go into isolation to prepare for the competition return.

They are waiting on Australian Border Force to approve their trip across the Tasman.