NRL players are reportedly threatening to boycott the season’s official launch and refuse to promote the competition amid ongoing delays with finalising the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). But what exactly is the CBA, and what do these delays mean for the players, and the fans?
What is the NRL CBA?
The Collective Bargaining Agreement is an agreement between the NRL and the Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA) that determines the minimum terms and conditions of players’ contracts, and other important aspects of the game including medical support funds, the handling of off-field matters, and investment in the women’s game.
“Through a fair, balanced CBA and establishing a genuine partnership between the NRL and Players, we will ensure the fairest systems, best support, ongoing education and care for our Players, ultimately enhancing their elite performance, on and off-field,” the RLPA said of the CBA in a statement.
What is going on with the CBA right now?
The NRL and the RLPA were initially set to reach an agreement regarding the CBA in October last year, before the previous agreement expired on October 31. However, the two parties have been unable to reach an agreement thus far.
Despite the failure to reach an agreement on the CBA, the NRL has announced a new salary cap for the 2023 season — prompting players to speak out against the league for trying to “bypass” the RLPA.
“We want a well-funded Past Players Program, better funding for the Injury Hardship Fund, funding for a Medical Support Fund, agreement rights on our employment conditions, match fees outside the cap, and a first-ever CBA for women,” North Queensland Cowboys player Chad Townsend said in a statement after the NRL announced a salary cap outside of the CBA in December.
What about the NRLW?
The lack of a CBA is even more concerning for NRLW players, who have been warned against signing contracts until an agreement has been reached.
Without a CBA in place, NRLW players are not only uncontracted and unaware of when the season will kick off, but also uninsured and therefore, not protected if they sustain injuries during pre-season training.
“We are doing contact training but are not on contract,” an anonymous NRLW player told Nine’s Wide World of Sports in December.
“If I do my ACL, it could be the end of my career and I have no financial security.”
What does this mean for fans?
As the 2023 NRL season kick-off date (March 2) draws closer, the standoff between players and the league grows more tense. But currently, it doesn’t look like the boycotts will have much of a tangible impact on fans.
This week, players have started to boycott the league’s media and promotional requests ahead of the season’s official launch.
According to the SMH, the Cronulla Sharks, Melbourne Storm, St George Illawarra Dragons and 2022 premiers the Penrith Panthers have all blocked media requests from the NRL after the latest CBA proposal — submitted on Friday — failed to meet the RLPA’s expectations.
Currently, this means promotional material ahead of the season launch may be missing a few popular faces, and the NRL’s own media outlet likely won’t have much in the way of player interviews from those involved in the boycott.
While this may not have much of a tangible impact on fans in the pre-season period, the RLPA has backed players’ desires to continue a total boycott of commercial and promotional work for the NRL until an agreement is reached, even if this continues into the season.
Melbourne Storm’s Christian Welch has stressed that “everything’s on the table” when it comes to boycotts amid allegations that the NRL is trying to bully players into an agreement.
“We’ve been trying to do the right thing by not kicking up a stink, and the biggest thing for the players is that we don’t want to take away from the fans because they’re the ones who support clubs and buy season memberships and jerseys,” Welch told NCA Newswire.
“Many times throughout the year out of our frustrations with the NRL, we wanted to take some action. You look at State of Origin, you look at the finals series and the World Cup – no player action was taken because we didn’t want to hurt the fans.
“It’s really frustrating when we’re acting in good faith but it’s all falling on deaf ears. That’s why all things are on the table.
“We’re still training and playing, but you would have seen that we’ve pulled back on NRL media commitments, and there’s a whole variety of action that we could take. Hopefully it doesn’t get to that, but it’s been so frustrating.”
With NRL trials set to kick off in just over three weeks and a CBA still in limbo, senior players are expected to meet later this week to discuss further boycotts.
It is unclear how a promotional boycott of the league could impact the season, but here’s hoping a CBA can be agreed upon before the start of the season. We’ll be sure to update you as more information on the agreement, and the response from players is released.
