Media Blackout Looms as NRL Pay Dispute Continues

As part of drastic steps the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) thinks would result in a settlement in sluggish collective bargaining agreement talks with the governing body, the NRL players are willing to forsake game-day media duties for months and will not rule out further strike action.

Players will not participate in post-match news conferences beginning in round 19 and continuing until further notice, including after Wednesday's final State of Origin game, as revealed by the RLPA at an emergency press conference on Wednesday, as reported by ABC News.

On game day, men's and women's players have been advised not to receive calls from reporters and will not participate in pre-match, half-time, or post-match interviews. On days when there are no games, players are still expected to be available, and NRL coaches are still expected to address the media as usual.

Until a draft CBA is finalized, the feuding NRL and PA meet with an industrial relations mediator, and player benefits and support payments resume to the pre-COVID levels agreed upon under the previous CBA, according to the RLPA, these conditions will remain in effect.

The statement from the RLPA was "disappointing" since it will directly affect fans, according to Andrew Abdo, chief executive of the NRL, who spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon.

On Tuesday night, more than 50 players from the 17 clubs gathered to debate the tardy CBA, which has been overdue for eight months. According to chief executive Clint Newton, the players were ready to take further action if their demands were not met.

Since the present CBA may only be extended through October 31 of this year, the warring parties have had 20 months to negotiate a new one.

Continuous Disputes

After submitting a settlement proposal to the NRL in the middle of May, the RLPA had hoped to achieve a deal with the league by the month's end. But due to disputes on a number of the more than 100 things specified in the CBA, negotiations came to a standstill once more.

The RLPA believes the NRL is attempting to decide how the player's portion of revenue is distributed to the RLPA and its programs, including the medical support fund and injury hardship fund. The RLPA asserts it has not asked for any additional funds since December of last year.

The RLPA asserts that the NRL also wants access to and ownership of player data, including medical data, as well as the freedom to introduce new games without seeking PA permission.

In private, the NRL feels that it has been acting in good faith during the drawn-out negotiations and has been willing to compromise on the RLPA's requests.