CBA Negotiations Stalling

[Moose]

Thanks Comrade, do you know paddo colt??

Remember when they were whinging and whining during Covid…. Meanwhile jobs and homes were being lost….how about they try becoming more available to the media and fans instead of a little 2 minute interview every week where most just trot out a few cliches.

When did they whine? The playing group agreed to take a huge pay cut to keep the game going.

[ism22]

> ...the NRL and RLPA covers a lot more ground than just the players' salaries, with issues like post-retirement injury funds, private health insurance and percentage share in revenue.

Sounds like it's now more about conditions than salaries? I dunno enough about the specific to have an opinion here other than to side with the players.

Fox and NRL management are a necessary evil so that we get a shiny product and players get paid. However, the players are the ones putting their bodies on the line who can (and often do) end up with permanent disabilities as a result of providing for the fans. Whereas, V'landys / other random execs will pocket millions while riding off into the sunset with a bottle of Grange in one hand and a Dannemann in the other no matter what happens to the game.

[Moose]

Spot on, Manage and pay your own expenses like the rest of us, you chose your career, don't like it, piss off and do something else.

Minor sport on the world stage, be thankful of you already receive.

Thats my take on this matter, sorry if insensitive to any offended.

So if you got a permanent disability from an injury on the job you'd be fine if your employer told you it wasn't their problem and you had to manage your own expenses?

[Rooster1908]

When did they whine? The playing group agreed to take a huge pay cut to keep the game going.

Yes the poor things . it was either that or stay at home and get $750 a week like some workers.

[Mickie Lane]

A Top Ballet dancer could earn 120k plus per year - Most ballet dancers' salaries fall between $14,500 and $36,500- obviously supplement this by having their own dance schools etc

Takes between 8 to 10 years to become a top Ballet Dancer

They certainly undergo a lot of surgery after they finish - feet and back and hip and knee replacements etc

Having to stand on your toes like that and spinning (Pic on the Right) etc takes some practice

That’s a classic King. You’re a ripper.

[Moose]

Yes the poor things . it was either that or stay at home and get $750 a week like some workers.

So when were they whining?

[ism22]

Personally I like the idea of looking after ex-players but wouldn't they have medical insurance covering such circumstances? There must be a cost-effective way of helping them. If it is possible, I would support it.

Guessing they have self-funded income / injury insurance. However, this has limits and those on lower salaries may not be able to afford the most comprehensive cover (further, their in income insurance may result in a meagre payment if they are injured before signing a senior contract).

Players are asking for it and I'm not gonna side against them in favour of the NRL.. V'landys has a $1b budget and can easily pull his finger out to find a few mil for an insurance scheme if he is minded to do so.

[King Salvo]

In the NFL and MLB for instance they have Medical funds that retired players can access for ongoing medical and health care as well as life time insurance

Plus Pension schemes

MLB

Players who have played in at least 100 games over the course of their career are eligible for a annual pension from the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) up to the age of 62

Players who have played in MLB for 10 or more years, and have accrued at least 1,000 days on an MLB roster, are eligible for the maximum pension benefit of $230,000 per year

A player who played for five years and earned an average salary of $1 million per year would receive a pension of $50,000 per year.

The remaining pension benefit is paid out in a lump sum when a player reaches the age of 62. If a player dies before reaching the age of 62, the benefit is paid to the player’s surviving spouse or dependent children.

https://tbonesbaseball.com/what-mlb-...0%20per%20year.

NFL

Is a less generous scheme

The amount of income a retired NFL player receives is based on his number of seasons played. Each season represents a credit towards the amount of pension money he can receive.

Also, NFL players must be at least 55 years old to receive their full pension money. If a player wants the money earlier, he can receive a lesser amount plus penalties for taking the pension early. For a player that can wait until 65 to take the pension, the benefit greatly increases.

On average, retired NFL players earn about $43,000 annually from their pension.

https://awmcap.com/blog/nfl-retirement-plan

[BigCok007]

The way the NRL has handled this is a joke. The RLPA has been ready to negotiate since 2021, the NRL has delayed to try and force their hand, they're "negotiating" in bad faith to make the players look bad and make people like Rooster36 think they're being greedy.

The reality is, the players are the ones producing all the capital that the NRL has, they deserve to keep the same cut of the profit that they have been getting, and they deserve to have injuries sustained during work taken care of. They also deserve help transitioning into normal life after playing.

Completely agree, this is supposed to be a professional sport. PVL is a crook and a stain on the game, surely Rugby could do with him and that nitwit Abdo too

[Rooster1908]

So when were they whining?

I didn't say they were, but you certainly are.
You sound like a bad Diff

[Rooster1908]

Completely agree, this is supposed to be a professional sport. PVL is a crook and a stain on the game, surely Rugby could do with him and that nitwit Abdo too

100%

[King Salvo]

Apparently from what I read these are the sticking points - Last week Storm skipper Welch accused the NRL of showing a lack of respect for the RLPA.

• 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
• A CBA for NRLW

Post season Trade window and mid-season transfer window another sticking point

It comes as NRL powerbrokers reportedly eased their push for a post-season trade window, instead proposing to the RLPA players will be able to sign with rivals for the following year from June 30

The introduction of a transfer window has been one of the sticking points in the heated ongoing dispute regarding the collective bargaining agreement, according to AAP

As it stands, players are able to sign with rivals for the 2025 season from November 1 in 2023 — affording them 15 months to put pen to paper on a contract.

The NRL reportedly put forward that players could negotiate with rivals after the 2024 grand final, leaving only four months for deals to be finalised.

Players reportedly bristled at the proposal which according to the RLPA put players careers at risk should they suffer an injury during the season.

NRL bosses have now put forward a new date, with players able to sign new deals with rivals clubs from July 2024 for the 2025 season.


Reports also suggest a mid-season transfer window between round 10 and the end of the State of Origin showcase is also being negotiated as a part of the new CBA.

[King Salvo]

The growing concern over concussions and the need to look after players whose careers are cut short by head knocks has emerged as one of the biggest sticking points in the drawn-out CBA talks between the NRL and Rugby League Players’ Association.

That’s according to Parramatta recruit and RLPA director Josh Hodgson, who says the amount of money the NRL are proposing for the injury hardship fund is insufficient and the reason he is unlikely to back a deal with head office any time soon.

Despite the NRL tabling a record $1.347 billion in total player payments for the next five years, up from the $980m offered during the last CBA, the players claim that the new proposal will leave them worse off in several areas.
One of those is the injury hardship fund, which was funded to the tune of $3m each year before being reduced to $1m in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as a result of COVID.

Hodgson said the rise in concussions - not to mention the nearly 300 extra players in the game as a result of the ten NRLW teams and NRL expansion side the Dolphins - meant the NRL needed to make the fund a priority.
“People will hear about the salary cap being set at $12m and then call the players greedy for not accepting it,” Hodgson told the Herald.

“It’s the highest cap the game has ever offered, and if it was only about money we would have jumped at that offer.

What the RLPA want

• A seat at the table when it comes to making any employment-related changes during the current CBA, including any proposed increased to fines, changing the length of the season, and policies relating to criminal proceedings;
• An increased injury hardship fund, which will now need to cover more than 250 extra players because of the arrival of the Dolphins and 10 NRLW teams;
• A new medical support fund, which allows players to have surgeries and rehabilitation covered more than 12 months after they retire;
• A new collective bargaining agreement for the NRLW;
• Better training wages, an increased minimum wage and match fees;
• Better post-career programs to help players transition into normal life once they stop playing.

“But there are other things we are not matching up on, including the injury hardship fund. That’s a big one for me.

“Head knocks have become more relevant than ever, especially with so many people coming forward and saying they’ve had head injuries and head knocks and want to be checked out.

“It is going to become a really important issue. The game hasn’t done anything wrong when it comes to concussion. The NRL is learning about concussions on the run, just as the players are.
“But we want to make sure things are in place so players are protected if they are forced out of the game.”
The RLPA are also pushing to have more autonomy when it comes to allocating money the NRL provides them. Hodgson said the players were the “best placed to know who needed what.”

Talks between NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and RLPA boss Clint Newton are expected to resume after they met last Thursday.

Talk of strike action has been floated, with North Queensland halfback Chad Townsend telling the Herald over the weekend: “I really hope a strike is not the option. As players, we have to consider all our options and what will be best for us. We’ll be prepared to do what it takes to achieve what we believe is fair and reasonable.

“The players are prepared to wait and be patient. We need to make sure the deal we sign isn’t just a good one for this year, but in the next four or five years.”

[Tennessee Tornado]

I’m behind the players 100% and would support strike action.

Hopefully apart from getting the players getting their requests met, the outcome of this is PVL riding off into the sunset.

[ism22]

Also, why have they called enterprise bargaining the common abbreviation of the Commonwealth Bank?

Like CBA announces new interest rates... I mean... a new enterprise agreement for NRL players. :P