Rugby league players have escalated their protests against the NRL in their ongoing pay talks by agreeing to boycott all media duties, including for next week’s State of Origin series finale.
After months of frustrating talks between the Rugby League Players’ Association and the NRL, a group of senior players agreed on Tuesday night it would abandon all media commitments on days when an NRL, NRLW or State of Origin match is to be played.
It means broadcasters such as Nine Entertainment Co, the publishers of this masthead, and Foxtel won’t be able to interview players before or after the Origin finale in Sydney next Wednesday night.
The RLPA called a press conference, attended by Rabbitohs prop Tom Burgess and NRLW star Jakiya Whitfield, at the Novotel on Darling Harbour on Wednesday afternoon to outline its position.
The players’ union opted to take action after more than 18 months of fruitless collective bargaining negotiations came to nothing. The decision was made after 50 leading players met on Tuesday night to discuss how to proceed.
“Players unanimously decided that we must take action as a result of the NRL’s rejection of our settlement proposal and their unacceptable demands of players,” the RLPA said in a message to its members.
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys and RLPA chief Clint Newton.Credit: Janie Barrett, Getty
“The unreasonable ultimatum of the ARL Commission and the NRL, and their refusal to continue to negotiate the CBA, has forced the players into action.
“Players have determined that the action to take is that all players will boycott the media from the first NRL, NRLW (including trials) or State of Origin match of every week to the last. This action will commence tomorrow Thursday, July 6th.”
The media boycott includes:
- Pre-match interviews
- Half-time interviews
- Post-match interviews
- Post-match press conferences
- Media opportunities in the dressing rooms
- Media opportunities in mixing zones
- Direct communication with media via a player’s mobile phone or social media
If a player’s team is not scheduled to play that day, the boycott is still in effect and includes:
- External media opportunities organised by a player’s club
- Any direct communication from media via a player’s mobile phone or social media
Players will take part in media during the boycott if:
- It is a club-owned media commitment and specifically for the development of club-owned content
- Where a player has a current, pre-existing, individual arrangement in place with a media outlet
From Monday to Wednesday each week – unless there is an Origin match, then it will be Monday to Tuesday – there will be no media boycott.
The RLPA said the purpose of this action was to force a change to the failed CBA process and deliver three critical outcomes:
- A complete draft collective bargaining agreement with terms covering all NRL and NRLW players, ready for ratification by NRL and NRLW players. In the interim:
- The NRL and RLPA must start meetings with an industrial relations mediator to work between both documents (the RLPA’s settlement proposal and the NRL’s response) and mediate an outcome on all issues.
- All NRL player benefits and support payments must return to pre-COVID levels agreed upon under the original CBA (2018-22). The union will also raise a formal dispute to challenge the NRL’s decision.
The RLPA intends to schedule meetings with the broadcasters to discuss the situation.
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