NRL Player Strike Update
NRL Players Strike
NRL players have backed down from their threat to strike in the preseason. The RLPA and the NRL have announced they are making progress in the CBA agreement cooling down the player’s threat to strike.
Players Strike Has Dominated The NRL News
Over the past few weeks talk of a strike has dominated the NRL news and is now seeing backlash from the fans against the players threatening to strike. The negotiations between the NRL and RLPA has been ongoing and posing a serious problem for players without a contract heading into 2023. The fans have had enough and general consensus is that the RLPA are being greedy regarding the salary cap issue.
The Salary Cap Dispute
The salary cap dispute appears to be one of the main source of the disagreement as it leaves some of the NRL players contracts in serious doubt as it raises concerns about what will happen in the next few years regarding normal pay increases.
Experienced players who are involved at high levels in the RLPA are voicing that they will not rule out a strike if their demands are not met. If they NRL players do strike it has been made very clear they will not get paid for the time they are not playing.
Female Dispute NRLW Adding Fuel To The Fire
The salary cap is not the only dispute at the moment, looking after the females playing in the NRL is also a core issue for the RLPA and the NRL.
In the CBA agreement the NRL players are not happy with the current agreement and are seeking improvements to see female Rugby League players looked after a lot better. The lack of 12 month contracts and insurance given to women playing in the NRLW has been a major sticking point.
Most of the women that play in the NRLW are working two jobs and if they are injured playing football their is nothing their to look after them financially in the current CBA agreement.
Players In Hardship Fund
This is from the NRL player’s point of view, the biggest sticking point in the stalemate between the NRL and RLPA in the new CBA agreement. The NRL players are aware of injuries, concussions, and problems that can occur playing NRL completely destroying players’ lives. If this point is not reconciled the players are being outspoken and state they will strike.
Former Player’s Opinions On The Strike
Noel Cleal a former player for Manly Sea Eagles has come out swinging calling the RLPA greedy and the players that are threatening to strike as greedy. Of note Noel Cleal did not suffer any major injuries that left him in hardship. Offering an interview in which he said “the players should be told go to buggery”. Noel Cleal played for Australia an was one of the all time legends of NRL. In his day the players that played in the NRL and also worked a job on the side. When you would turn on your TV to watch an NRL match you would see the player profiles it also had their job next it. So for the older generation of players it is general opinion that players of today are being greedy.
Players like Wally Lewis, Ian Roberts, James Graham, Royce Symmons, and Mario Fenech who have all suffered serious long-term injuries to the brain and in some cases players have died, might argue that the players in hardship fund needs to be addressed and put in place. With so many more players coming out in public and voicing their long-term injuries and mental health problems due to the years played in the NRL the players are scared of the lack of support should they fall into hardship.
