Fears NRL’s CBA fight with Rugby League Players Association could drag on
The NRL has been dealt a big blow ahead of a vital summit between chief executive Andrew Abdo and clubs on Tuesday.
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All 17 clubs stand defiant and united in their funding fight with the NRL after engaging in a high-powered Zoom meeting at 5pm on Monday – just 24 hours before a vital summit with chief executive Andrew Abdo.
The Daily Telegraph has been told the clubs’ three-man working group – comprising Canberra CEO Don Furner, Melbourne’s Justin Rodski and South Sydney’s Blake Solly – questioned the clubs during a 25-minute meeting on Monday afternoon whether to accept the NRL’s current funding offer or continue scrapping for another $20 million a year in funding.
Despite the damaging war of words which has broken out among both parties, the response from club CEOs was unanimous – stand and fight for more money.
This battle is far from over.
Most club bosses have been texting one-another to reaffirm support for the working group’s battle.
It is expected other NRL management, including chief financial officer John Osborne, will also join Tuesday’s meeting.
Rodksi, Furner and Solly felt it important to secure a “clear direction” from their fellow clubs ahead of their meeting with Abdo on Tuesday.
They feared any dissenting CEO would weaken their demands, but any uneasiness was unfounded and quickly allayed at Monday’s meeting.
The NRL is privately unsure whether all clubs are actually united on a funding stance.
There has been speculation about some CEOs taking a stance with their fellow clubs yet offering a different opinion to the NRL.
But when asked by the clubs on Monday afternoon, they all claimed to be securely locked together.
Among a myriad issues to cover and overcome, clubs are hoping to secure additional funding – around $5m over the CBA’s five-year agreement — on top of player payments.
The NRL hasn’t reached that $5m figure yet in negotiations but the discrepancy isn’t insurmountable.
Another problem could be funding for the 10 clubs with NRLW sides.
NRLW club CEOs are discussing a desire for another $500,000 per club each club to run the expensive women’s program.
That would amount to another $25m from the NRL over five years.
Clubs without an NRLW side are open to those with a women’s team receiving more money – but not if it means a reduction in the proposed $5m payments.
There does appear to be significant distrust between the NRL and clubs, both fighting for robust deals for their stakeholders.
Abdo and ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys were due to fly out this week for the World Cup in England but have cancelled their trip to focus on CBA negotiations, which started back in February.
There is a slim chance a deal could be struck on Tuesday afternoon but that would appear highly unlikely.
Some key issues in the CBA are the NRL salary cap, investment in the NRLW, NRL player payments, revenue share, minimum wage for players and funding for medical and hardship support for retired and past players.
FLASH POINT: FRESH FEARS IN NRL’S BATTLE WITH RLPA
By David Riccio
There are fears that the NRL’s protracted employment negotiations with the player’s union could drag on for another 12 months.
In a potential powder-keg scenario, it’s understood that the NRL and Rugby League Players Association are so far apart in reaching an outcome that all hope of finalising the code’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) prior to Christmas is considered forlorn.
Key figures within the negotiations fear that a deal being struck before round one next season, in early March, may not even be possible, leading to the suggestion that both camps set a new target date for the new CBA of 2024.
The CBA is the agreement between the NRL and the RLPA, which sets out the minimum terms and conditions of the players’ employment and other important arrangements within the sport.
The players are pushing for a host of changes to the current CBA that includes a seat on the ARL Commission, a say on rule changes, code of conduct, drug policy, welfare, wellbeing and education, the season structure and how many days of holiday they should get every year.
The NRL don’t agree the players should be entitled to that much influence and power, claiming the ARL Commission has been set up to preside over the operational running of the NRL — not the RLPA and 17 clubs.
The NRL also point to what will be a record share of money provided to the players via the most lucrative club grant in the code’s history — totalling almost $300 million collectively — as a sign of how highly their regard for the strength of clubs and players is.
The players are adamant they won’t be rushed into signing a new CBA.
It has led to a feeling from within both camps that such is the divide and difference of opinion, the game would be better served rolling over the current CBA model into 2023 and using the next 12-months to thrash out the long list of differences.
Adding to the stalemate is the impact of cancelled meetings, between both parties and individually, over the past week, the impact of the World Cup and the NRL’s push to reveal the 2023 draw, as early as this week.
One key outcome that is unlikely to change is the November 1 free-agency window.
The RLPA and NRL have so far fallen short on agreeing on any other model that creates an even and fairer system for players to sign with rival clubs than the current system.
As it stands, players that have one more year remaining on their contract are free to sign with another club from November 1 preceding their final season.
The system has raised the ire and polarised fans for years.
Two transfer window periods — before and after the season — have been floated, but not without serious delivery or traction to suggest a change will be made.
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Originally published as Fears NRL’s CBA fight with Rugby League Players Association could drag on
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