In-form Parramatta forward Shaun Lane has used grand final week to take a swipe at the NRL for failing to thrash out a new collective bargaining agreement despite the season coming to a close.
Lane is preparing to sign off on a three-year extension reportedly worth $2 million to remain with the Eels until 2026, but his main concern was for some of the game’s fringe players who remained in limbo because clubs were unsure how much money they could spend.
One of those players is Lane’s housemate and Manly forward Andrew Davey who has interest from rival clubs, but none who are prepared to commit until they have clarity around the official salary cap figure.
Clubs are working towards a $10.5m cap, which could go as high as $11.3m with incentives.
“If we were dealing with a small business it would be understandable, but the NRL is a huge enterprise, and no other professional sporting organisation in the world would allow this to occur,” Lane told the Herald.
“I live with Andrew Davey, he’s a player who has been trying to get a contract throughout the whole year, but because we don’t know what the CBA looks like for next year, every club has put [talks] on hold with him and fringe players who don’t have a contract for next season.
Shaun Lane has used Grand Final week to take a swipe at the NRL over the collective bargaining agreement.Credit:NRL Photos
“They’re the ones being screwed over because of it. I’m not sure what is holding the NRL up.
“Some people have families to feed and might not have things outside of football to do; they rely only on football.
“They should have been on top of this months ago. It’s disappointing because the RLPA have been ready to go to start negotiations for a long time now, only for it to keep getting put off.
“Players don’t know what they will be paid and others will have to keep waiting for a contract.”
Lane is an RLPA delegate and was unsure if the new deal would be brokered in time for the start of the new pay cycle on November 1.
Former Nine chief Hugh Marks was brought in by the NRL as a consultant to work on the CBA, but clubs have been informed he will leave for America at the end of this week for a job opportunity, which will lead to further delays in negotiations.
The Herald was awaiting comment from the NRL on Monday afternoon.
The RLPA negotiated a sum of $38 million to be returned to the players after the NRL emerged from the pandemic in much better financial shape than first feared.
The players, who gave up 20 per cent of their salaries in 2020 to keep the game going through COVID – then forfeited 6 per cent last year and again this year – were returned around 78 per cent of that money they forfeited.
Lane has been tremendous for the Eels on the left edge, with his combination with Dylan Brown a big reason the blue and golds are through to the final weekend of the year, not to mention the reason he earned a lucrative new deal.
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