There are 25,000 reasons why Canberra asked their players to ditch plans to take industrial action by delaying the kick-off to their opening NRL trial on the weekend.
When the Rugby League Players association threatened to disrupt the pre-season competition to ratchet up pressure on the NRL in their CBA negotiations, Raiders officials explained to their players – and then opponents Canterbury – why such action would have been a PR disaster.
The Raiders were hosting the Bulldogs in Moruya to help raise money for the community devastated by the state’s bushfires a couple of years ago. COVID restrictions had forced them to abandon plans to play pre-season matches on the South Coast the past two years.
“It would have been embarrassing and a kick in the face for the people of the Eurobodalla Shire had we delayed the kick-off,” Canberra CEO Don Furner told the Herald.
“We got around 4200 fans there on Sunday. And we raised $25,000 in gate receipts, which will all go back to Group 16 and their juniors.
“Because we held the game down there, Moruya also received $120,000 from the state government for new lighting at the oval. That wouldn’t have happened had we not taken the trial down there.
“We will always support our players when it comes to their negotiations, but having them delay coming out of the sheds, which had been discussed, would have been a poor look.”
A decent crowd turned up in Moruya for Sunday’s trial against the Bulldogs.
Officials at the Cronulla Sharks also confirmed they had spoken with their skipper and RLPA board member Wade Graham to make the point that disrupting their own trial against Newcastle would only punish their fans and members.
Among the options discussed by the players were delaying kick-off times, covering the NRL logo on their jerseys, and boycotting any media commitments if the NRL refused to accelerate negotiations relating to the NRLW.
Xavier Savage will be out for six weeks after scans confirmed a broken jaw.
The Herald was told players had been prepared to sit in the sheds for up to four minutes after the official kick-off time. Officials from one club were told players from both teams were to stand still and not touch the ball for four minutes after the referee had blown the whistle to start the game.
Cronulla chief executive Dino Mezzatesta told the Herald: “We wanted to give our fans, members and sponsors an entertaining trial that was not marred by any delays, but by the time we had spoken to Wade about it, he said the talks had progressed and things were looking positive.”
RLPA boss Clint Newton told 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Monday the players had been “noble” for wanting to take a stand for what they believed in.
Industrial action remains an option for this weekend’s second and final trials should the NRL fail to put forward their proposals for the NRLW CBA in writing.
The NRL have already outlined plans for a record $1.347b in payments over the next five years, but it is the non-financial components, including injury hardship funds, that remain sticking points for the RLPA.
“We will not apologise for going after what is fair and reasonable, and having the control of the players’ share of funds to distribute into areas of importance for them,” Newton said.
Meanwhile, the Raiders have lost Xavier Savage to a broken jaw, with the fullback to be sidelined up to six weeks.
