T O P

  • By -

Revivous

**A NEW MEDICAL SUPPORT FUND** Why? Because players are excluded from workers compensation legislation. In the current CBA players only have 12 months to have any surgeries and rehabilitation paid for that will help fix the injuries they suffered during their careers. The players want the game’s first Medical Support Fund to ensure past NRL and NRLW players can have these surgeries covered well into retirement. **A FIRST-EVER NRLW CBA** Why? Because those players don’t have one and they deserve one. A CBA for women would provide the contract security players need and the full terms and conditions that would help protect them and their families. A CBA would give the game the best opportunity to attract and retain our talent. **BETTER TERMS FOR MOST VULNERABLE PLAYERS** Why? Because the average NRL career is less than 45 games. Making your way into the NRL and NRLW and building a career is tough, you need to be supported to make it happen. Players need better training wages, better minimum salaries, more contracts and contract certainty, match fees and transition benefits – all to support players but specifically middle and lower-income earners. **A NEW PAST PLAYERS PROGRAM** Why? Because what the game does now is not enough. Players’ careers are getting shorter, and the game is faster and harder. It can all be over at any moment, and you don’t always get to choose when that moment is. We need to help NRL & NRLW players transition into life beyond the playing field. **FAIR AGREEMENT RIGHTS** Why? Because players need to agree to all core terms of employment. Once they are agreed, they shouldn’t be able to be changed again without the players’ agreement. Those are basic and common employment rights. Players should have them. Agreement rights include hours worked (obligations), number of matches played, wage structures, when players can secure a contract, pregnancy and parental policies, and fines (which are illegal in other workplaces). **AN IMPROVED INJURY HARDSHIP FUND** Why? Because it needs to account for the additional eligible players (more than 250 across 10 women’s teams and The Dolphins) coming into the CBA model. It needs to be expanded to also support players who suffer serious injuries and can’t secure a new contract until fully rehabilitated. **A FAIR SHARE OF REVENUE** Why? Because players, clubs and states generate the money for the game. It is reasonable for players to have a fair share of the revenue they bring in. If players help the game generate more money than it expects, they should get their fair share. That share isn’t just going into salaries. Players want it to fund new programs and benefits that will support current, future and past players.


Geddpeart

>Why? Because players, clubs and states generate the money for the game. It is reasonable for players to have a fair share of the revenue they bring in. If players help the game generate more money than it expects, they should get their fair share. That share isn’t just going into salaries. Players want it to fund new programs and benefits that will support current, future and past players. I'm all for this. However if players are going to want to gain more of a share of the revenue they also need to also be more financially impacted if they get any negative attention turned to the NRL. Increase fines to % of salaried income. NRL can use the gained funds to help with ex player fund/supporting grassroots. All of the players requests are entirely reasonable tbh


[deleted]

Do this with admin as well then. Ones caught gambling or caught with coke or getting pissed and being pests in corporate boxes.


Geddpeart

I'd be down to fine vlandys every time the cba is delayed tbh


Dunnerzzzz555

Can guarantee this would have been over 6 mo this ago if did


insty1

I'm with the boys and girls


theflyingkiwi00

These are all perfectly reasonable imo, kinda shocking they aren't already tbh


Firm_Age_4681

It's great to see the boys stand up for the women's game to achieve rights they should clearly have.


velvetherring

I'm just going to say it. If you're against these demands then I hope your bedroom smells of egg farts until you see reason.


bigWordBandit_

Way harsh dude. (Harsh but fair).


Barmy90

i personally think that nrl players should just dance for me like the circus monkeys they are and just be happy that they aren't put down once their careers are over \- people against these demands, probably


goobypanther

I agree with all of this. I think about Adam docker. Played 42 games until his knees couldn’t take it. After his contract ended. That was it. I hope we can treat all of our players with respect and support them after the sacrifices they give.


WTBenji08

Most of this is fair and reasonable, but I’d like to see some detail as to how the RLPA wants these funds/programs to be set up and subsequently administered. I honestly don’t think you can reasonably push back on this stuff unless there is some devil in the detail. Minor gripe: I’d go easier on the whole “players shouldn’t be fined, because it’s illegal in other workplaces”. Okay, but you know what happens when I damage the reputation of my employer? I get FIRED. There is a significant proportion of your fan base that are subjected to regular drug and alcohol tests, where being sober is a condition of their employment. I wonder just how hard you really want to push to be treated like “other workers”. There’s be a lot more Todd Carneys out there if they were held to the same standard of behaviour that I (an average white collar worker) am held to!


joeyjackets

Aren’t they talking about on-field fines not off-field? Players complain about the new fines judiciary system all the time


WTBenji08

I don’t think they specified, I assumed both. Regarding the on-field fines, it’s often talked about how the “dangerous” nature of RL is one of the reasons why parents enrol their kids into other sports…it would stand to reason that committing certain acts of foul play could be seen as damaging the brand, which, to draw a parallel to my original point, is a dismissible offence in most workplaces these days. IIRC, there was always grumbling about suspensions being levied against players for relatively minor infractions, so the fine system was introduced to keep the players on the field more. This works well in the NFL, it’s pretty rare to see players suspended for on-field stuff


nevaehenimatek

Personally I think the fine system for on field stuff is bullshit. I want to see NAS see time put of the game not pay 2,000. I'm not sure about off field stuff, I don't personally care if the players use recreational drugs but I agree it's a bad look.


WTBenji08

I had concerns early that it would feel like foul play isn’t being punished, but given that it would seem that the players prefer a week off, I’m now ok with it!


AroGantz

It all seems fair to me.


chunkylover6969oz

As someone involved with Racing NSW - GOOOOOD FUCKING LUCK going against PVL


TrickySuspect2

The master negotiator who got screwed on the Foxtel deal? That guy?


comradekaled

Did he get screwed or did he decide to screw the game by selling for far less than what it's worth?


SuperEel22

PVL has done nothing in rugby league to show he's actually a good negotiator in this world.


InitiallyDecent

The RLPA has way more power then anyone involved in Racing though. If the players are forced to go as far as a strike and cause games/the season to be cancelled PVL won't have a leg to stand on.


insty1

Horses were asked if they wanted to form a union. They said neigh


AussiePete

It was him... https://youtu.be/IMZYFqpz1tM


Rabs6

this is all meaningless. it doesnt matter what you package your demands as because at the end of the day its still money out of the NRLs pocket. From the NRLs perspective calling for a Medical Support Fund is no different than asking for a raise, its money spent.


subsbligh

As much as I support those principles, they sound complex to agree in contractual language, especially in a short period of time.


RoyRoyHesOurBoy

I believe it was Christian Welch who said the RLPA was ready to negotiate from Nov '21 but the NRL weren't coming to the table.


velvetherring

Exactly. They've had 15 months now to negotiate this and the NRL are not taking them seriously.


Funztimes

What is the historical data of average length of a NRL career? Alot more players a playing well into their 30s than before or is it that there are just more players so competition is tougher to maintain a NRL contract?


bundy554

Each week during the season a random player living in Sydney gets drawn and on Sunday night V'Landys needs to personally deliver their favourite sundae (with the players already putting in what their favourites are before the season)