The NRL’s bitter feud with the Rugby League Players’ Association could be over by the start of the season after Australian Rugby League chairman Peter V’landys sat in on negotiations with players for the first time on Monday.
After months of discussions over a new collective bargaining agreement, V’landys met with Storm star Christian Welch and RLPA officials in a meeting described as the most positive yet between the parties.
It has given renewed hope the sour relations between head office and the game’s biggest stars could be mended before the season opener between the Eels and Storm next Thursday night.
According to sources speaking on the condition of anonymity given the confidential talks, both parties made concessions from previous bargaining positions during the talks. The discussions are set to continue on Tuesday.
V’landys has left the majority of the negotiations to NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo, but joined Welch, Broncos star Kurt Capewell, RLPA chief executive Clint Newton and the players’ union chair Dr Deidre Anderson in the latest round of negotiations.
A cast of Sydney-based players will meet with NRL officials for the next round of discussions. Both parties are now hopeful a resolution to the glacial negotiations can be reached by the start of the season.
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo and ARLC chairman Peter V’landys.Credit:Dean Sewell
The issue of agreement rights and autonomy over the RLPA’s finances have been the focus of the latest talks after the parties last week announced an in-principle agreement over funding for the NRLW competition from this year.
The salary cap will be $900,000 this season before rising to as much as $1.518 million at the end of the CBA in 2027. Minimum salaries will also rise from $30,000 in 2023 to $50,600 by the end of the cycle.
The Herald revealed earlier this month former Fairfax Media and News Corporation executive Brett Clegg had emerged as the key facilitator between the NRL and the players’ union in talks, taking up a role vacated by former Nine Entertainment Co boss Hugh Marks.
Marks stepped down from the role last year to concentrate on his business interests.
Nine Entertainment Co is the publisher of this masthead.
The bad blood between the parties intensified only weeks ago when players threatened to take industrial action during the NRL’s new pre-season challenge if certain conditions weren’t met, following allegations an NRL executive secretly recorded players speaking during a briefing with Abdo.
The players said they were considering delaying kick-off times, covering NRL logos on jerseys and refusing to undertake any media interviews if concessions weren’t met on certain parts of the agreement.
The demonstrations were called off on the eve of the opening round of the pre-season challenge.
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