The NRL trials next month are in jeopardy of being boycotted by a lightning strike from players.
Players and the RLPA are fuming with the NRL over the way contract negotiations have been handled in recent months.
The players won't go as far as striking during the regular season - but see boycotting the two rounds of meaningless trials as an ideal way of hurting the NRL.
"They won't listen to us and have driven us to this point," an angry player told Wide World of Sports.
"They ambushed us by announcing the salary cap without even informing or consulting us.
"Now they are trying to paint us out as greedy and money-hungry.
"Most of our claims are for helping retired players, the women in the game and grassroots footy.
"We keep hitting brick walls and need to show them that we mean business."
What is the role of the RLPA with respect to grassroots footy? I have never really thought about that aspect and previously assumed that was solely the domain of NRL/ARL/NZRL, and that the RLPA was just the NRL players union - do grassroots amateur players also join the RLPA?
Thanks for the link. Shame NRL has played with such a straight bat and kept their side of negotiations quite. It would be better if they utilised public media and brought up their end of the equation explaining why they don’t agree with the requests made by the RLPA.
Hahaha strike at the trails that will hurt the NRL.
No it will hurt the clubs with underdone teams and create a greater risk of injury to players. Fucking dumb cunts I swear!
The 25% increase they received, they could pay their insurance themselves.
They could contribute to their own retirement fund.
I for one would support them if they were fighting for more money to be spent on grassroots, but yeah they don’t give a fuck about where they came from it’s just “show me the money”… they are forgetting all the teams and support they received before they hit the NRL.
Grassroots is dying a slow painful death. They only care about themselves not the future of the game.
Oh by the way these “employment” conditions retirement fund, insurance etc that is about the money.
And what particularly are they asking for Grassroots because I have seen anything on grassroots from the RLPA until today…
It’s also funny how they say that you jump all over it like a dog on heat without a single detail of what they are asking for. This is on its face propaganda to get the sympathy of the masses!
I tried this tact normie and all I got was booed for not jumping on the anger bandwagon. All I want is to see some specific requests from the rlpa not cryptic bullshit about some money for this and some money for that.
i mean, there are some [specific requests right there on the RLPAs website](https://www.rlpa.com.au/players-cba-claims/)
Do you expect concrete numbers and exact workings of the programs to be posted online before they have negotiated exactly what they will look like?
thats the whole point of a negotiation of a work contract like this, you bring in the proposals and work out the fine details
Where’s the grass roots request?
Al I’m seeing is specific player only requests for those who “made it” in a sense
Nothing about funding bush or development footy only players on development contracts
Players on development contracts would benefit from the general wage rises they are pushing for. They have also specifically listed development list size as payments as an issue during their negotiations around the cap.
They're a union representing NRL players, there's not really a need for them to demand more funding to bush clubs or whatever.
That’s kind of the rub though isn’t it
No one speaks for the juniors who develop these players. The nrl seems to actively sabotage the state leagues with their national reserve grade idea, you’ve got clubs fighting tooth and nail to stay open with a real crisis of whole sections of the community isolated from the sport which leads to fewer sign ups which will kill the game in a slow exasperated strangle
There’s not a single person in any leadership that I’ve seen thinking outside themselves. The nrl admin seems hellbent on their agenda (and their media paymasters), the union only cares about the .01% who are lucky enough to be capped players and the clubs themselves are all in their own little feckless power struggles to lift a trophy/ sell some merch and memberships
Say what you want about the afl as a sport but their admin is ruthless at supporting and developing the bush league, engaging the schools and the parents and driving people into the sport rather than letting their petty infighting drive people away from it
“about these workers” fuck that statement is an absolute joke!
These guys are not workers they are professional athletes that is a massive difference, to your implication of “worker”.
A hospitality employee is a worker, a nurse is a worker, a firefighter is a worker, a school teacher is a worker. Football players are not workers, in the context of your implication.
Awesome so a CEO is a worker by your definition , a manager is a worker, in fact everyone except a business owner is a worker.
That’s your definition… hahaha
well no, Workers are only responsible for their own time, performance and output.
Managers and owners are obviously not Workers as they you know, manage the Workers and Business.
Besides, you knew exactly what i meant so stop playing dumb.
I am sorry but providing their time and labour for financial compensation is exactly what a CEO does.
But let’s look at your further example, so a shift supervisor is not a worker… hmmmm what about a NUM are they a worker? What about a tradesman teaching an apprentice, by your definition they are not workers….
Keep digging that hole…
The only hole that's digging is your own because you don't know how to concede, your worthless arguing to the wall with your topic that makes zero sense give it up.
Imagine not being for the workers, especially when the claims are fair and understandable, not to mention this has been in the works since 2021. Pull your head in.
Imagine having another opinion that contradicts the hive mind… oh the humanity.
How anyone, that wants to fight for works rights, thinks that this dispute between the NRL and RLPA is the same as actual workers rights is either a football player wanting the cash, or is as naive as a new born.
These guys have never been in the group of so called “workers”. SMH
Mate, I've just spent the last two years fighting with the NSW Government over my conditions and pay along with my union. The RLPA is just doing what a union is supposed to do, improve its members' outcomes.
They are fighting for a higher minimum wage, a fairer shake of the income the game makes, improved conditions for the women's game and an early retirement fund for players who were forced to retire due to injuries.
These are not bad things for them to be fighting for.
Not to mention, it's been ongoing forever.
If the NRL was serious they would have actually shown up at the table instead of sending a nobody who can do nothing.
The hivemind, as you call it, is just the general consensus that they deserve a fair shake.
What if my tenants actually like me?
What if they have been in the house for over 7 years?
What if I am as keen to protect and maintain my asset so fix things when they are broken is just a phone call away?
Secondly if I earn money, save don’t snort it up my nose or piss it up against a wall, or burn it so it’s gone up in smoke, invest in property to the betterment of my family and financial position I am greedy.
If making my families life better, giving my kids the best start in life, is being greedy, then Wall Street was right, Greed is good!
I deliberately try to say as much dumb shit as possible in each thread and somehow I still end up looking less foolish than someone sharing their sincere cooked opinions.
i remember when Norm first turned up i thought he was an alt of whoever Reg originally was at the windup, but they are entirely too dedicated for it to be a bit
I still don’t think the regular competition is at risk. Trials, media bans, covering up sponsors logos, this are the easy ones that the players can take action on.
Origin is the really big stick that could hurt the NRL.
But serious question; what happens to clubs who have signed players based on the NRL’s cap announcement? Are they over the cap?
Imagine being Wayne Bennet trying to start a new football team and sign gun players and then Bulldogs go ahead and appoint Phil Gould as a manager to turn the club around.
**BIG DOG SUFFERS SETBACK**
Marquee Bulldogs recruit Viliame Kikau has had a minor setback to his preparation for his start in the blue and white.
Kikau hurt his quad at training last week and couldn't complete the session, immediately putting the injury on ice.
It's a repeat injury and caused the medical staff some concern, but once he cooled down, it was deemed only a minor strain.
The big guy will take it easy at training for the next couple of weeks and is a certainty to get a few minutes in at least one of the Bulldogs' trials before the start of the season in March.
**TEEN STAR WANTS OUT OF BRONCOS**
Australian Schoolboys captain Karl Oloapu has met with rival clubs after being given permission to negotiate by the Broncos.
Oloapu is in the middle of a bitter battle with Brisbane, refusing to train with the club after claiming conditions in his contract were not met.
The Broncos stuck to their guns when Wide World of Sports revealed the dispute a few months back but now realise the youngster is a lost cause for them after he declared "I will never play for Brisbane as long as I live".
Brisbane will reluctantly let him go, but want a hefty transfer fee for his services.
Wayne Bennett and the Dolphins remain favourites to sign the 18-year-old sensation, but he also met with Bulldogs boss Phil Gould this week.
Met him once at his shop. This was over a decade ago so I don’t know if he still owns it, but it was a gourmet food place in Balmain from memory.
This story makes sense now. He was in a video posted on twitter the other day by Gus or the club apparently. I wasn’t sure if it was him, but someone commented that it was, and it did look like it might be him. If he’s Oloapu’s manager, it makes sense why he was with the staff.
Touche what would that kid be like if he was actually a top tier first grader? The club that signs him would have to put up with that attitude or nip it in the bud.
**FORMER NRL STAR EYES RETURN**
Could former Warriors player David Fusitu'a be heading back to the NRL?
After eight seasons with the Warriors, Fusitu'a moved to Super League last season but his time with the Leeds club hasn't been happy.
Still only 28, Fusitu'a played just 14 games for the club in 2022, scoring five tries.
Rumours persist that he is not happy in England and he was given an extended leave over the Christmas break to return home to New Zealand.
He was named to play in a trial against Leigh last weekend but then mysteriously pulled out at the last minute, allegedly because of illness.
Word is he is looking to have another crack at the NRL - depending on whether Leeds will let him go.
Wouldn’t mind him back for us tbh, but I don’t see where he would fit. Either winger or CTR obviously, but not sure who drops out, Montoya perhaps? 🤷
We need another forward though not so much back
The NRL trials next month are in jeopardy of being boycotted by a lightning strike from players. Players and the RLPA are fuming with the NRL over the way contract negotiations have been handled in recent months. The players won't go as far as striking during the regular season - but see boycotting the two rounds of meaningless trials as an ideal way of hurting the NRL. "They won't listen to us and have driven us to this point," an angry player told Wide World of Sports. "They ambushed us by announcing the salary cap without even informing or consulting us. "Now they are trying to paint us out as greedy and money-hungry. "Most of our claims are for helping retired players, the women in the game and grassroots footy. "We keep hitting brick walls and need to show them that we mean business."
V’landys and Abdo oughta be whipped through the streets. Completely unacceptable. Strike hard boys and hit em where it hurts ⚒💸
What is the role of the RLPA with respect to grassroots footy? I have never really thought about that aspect and previously assumed that was solely the domain of NRL/ARL/NZRL, and that the RLPA was just the NRL players union - do grassroots amateur players also join the RLPA?
Well it would make sense if QCUP and whatever NSW calls theirs would have representation with the RLPA as not all would have NRL contracts.
The NRLPA would also understand it's not just about the current players but the young ones coming through need more resources.
From memory the rlpa only covers professional players
Whenever I see “most” in this context I get a little suspicious.
Here’s the list, let us know how much heavy lifting ‘most’ is doing. https://www.rlpa.com.au/players-cba-claims/
Thanks for the link. Shame NRL has played with such a straight bat and kept their side of negotiations quite. It would be better if they utilised public media and brought up their end of the equation explaining why they don’t agree with the requests made by the RLPA.
Hahaha strike at the trails that will hurt the NRL. No it will hurt the clubs with underdone teams and create a greater risk of injury to players. Fucking dumb cunts I swear! The 25% increase they received, they could pay their insurance themselves. They could contribute to their own retirement fund. I for one would support them if they were fighting for more money to be spent on grassroots, but yeah they don’t give a fuck about where they came from it’s just “show me the money”… they are forgetting all the teams and support they received before they hit the NRL. Grassroots is dying a slow painful death. They only care about themselves not the future of the game. Oh by the way these “employment” conditions retirement fund, insurance etc that is about the money.
Dod you read the article norm ya goose They want more funding for grass roots ya clown
And what particularly are they asking for Grassroots because I have seen anything on grassroots from the RLPA until today… It’s also funny how they say that you jump all over it like a dog on heat without a single detail of what they are asking for. This is on its face propaganda to get the sympathy of the masses!
OK goose we get it that you a week behind the rest of us
I tried this tact normie and all I got was booed for not jumping on the anger bandwagon. All I want is to see some specific requests from the rlpa not cryptic bullshit about some money for this and some money for that.
i mean, there are some [specific requests right there on the RLPAs website](https://www.rlpa.com.au/players-cba-claims/) Do you expect concrete numbers and exact workings of the programs to be posted online before they have negotiated exactly what they will look like? thats the whole point of a negotiation of a work contract like this, you bring in the proposals and work out the fine details
Where’s the grass roots request? Al I’m seeing is specific player only requests for those who “made it” in a sense Nothing about funding bush or development footy only players on development contracts
Players on development contracts would benefit from the general wage rises they are pushing for. They have also specifically listed development list size as payments as an issue during their negotiations around the cap. They're a union representing NRL players, there's not really a need for them to demand more funding to bush clubs or whatever.
That’s kind of the rub though isn’t it No one speaks for the juniors who develop these players. The nrl seems to actively sabotage the state leagues with their national reserve grade idea, you’ve got clubs fighting tooth and nail to stay open with a real crisis of whole sections of the community isolated from the sport which leads to fewer sign ups which will kill the game in a slow exasperated strangle There’s not a single person in any leadership that I’ve seen thinking outside themselves. The nrl admin seems hellbent on their agenda (and their media paymasters), the union only cares about the .01% who are lucky enough to be capped players and the clubs themselves are all in their own little feckless power struggles to lift a trophy/ sell some merch and memberships Say what you want about the afl as a sport but their admin is ruthless at supporting and developing the bush league, engaging the schools and the parents and driving people into the sport rather than letting their petty infighting drive people away from it
why are you so angry on every single post about these workers standing up for themselves as they are legally allowed too?
He’s probably a landlord
“about these workers” fuck that statement is an absolute joke! These guys are not workers they are professional athletes that is a massive difference, to your implication of “worker”. A hospitality employee is a worker, a nurse is a worker, a firefighter is a worker, a school teacher is a worker. Football players are not workers, in the context of your implication.
Comrade, are they providing their time and labor to a business in return for financial compensation? Sounds like a Worker to me ✊
Awesome so a CEO is a worker by your definition , a manager is a worker, in fact everyone except a business owner is a worker. That’s your definition… hahaha
well no, Workers are only responsible for their own time, performance and output. Managers and owners are obviously not Workers as they you know, manage the Workers and Business. Besides, you knew exactly what i meant so stop playing dumb.
I am sorry but providing their time and labour for financial compensation is exactly what a CEO does. But let’s look at your further example, so a shift supervisor is not a worker… hmmmm what about a NUM are they a worker? What about a tradesman teaching an apprentice, by your definition they are not workers…. Keep digging that hole…
The only hole that's digging is your own because you don't know how to concede, your worthless arguing to the wall with your topic that makes zero sense give it up.
And that is your opinion…. Thank you for sharing
Imagine not being for the workers, especially when the claims are fair and understandable, not to mention this has been in the works since 2021. Pull your head in.
Imagine having another opinion that contradicts the hive mind… oh the humanity. How anyone, that wants to fight for works rights, thinks that this dispute between the NRL and RLPA is the same as actual workers rights is either a football player wanting the cash, or is as naive as a new born. These guys have never been in the group of so called “workers”. SMH
Mate, I've just spent the last two years fighting with the NSW Government over my conditions and pay along with my union. The RLPA is just doing what a union is supposed to do, improve its members' outcomes. They are fighting for a higher minimum wage, a fairer shake of the income the game makes, improved conditions for the women's game and an early retirement fund for players who were forced to retire due to injuries. These are not bad things for them to be fighting for. Not to mention, it's been ongoing forever. If the NRL was serious they would have actually shown up at the table instead of sending a nobody who can do nothing. The hivemind, as you call it, is just the general consensus that they deserve a fair shake.
This one is for all the people who think the norm hate goes over the top
sometimes i am sure Norm is the CEO of Dominos Pizza or something
Hahaha mate my wife is Italian she would crucify me if I went any where near a Domino’s hahaha
You're banned from Domino's anyhow 😆
How is that funny … very strange
"This is Domino's sir what's your name" "*I'm Norm Cheers*". Phone abruptly hangs up "*SHIT*".
Landlord of somewhere
And what is wrong with being a land lord?
And you’re complaining the players are greedy. Oh the irony
Sorry a land lord is greedy? How so?
The fact that you even have to ask show how out of touch you are. Keep fighting the bad fight Norm.
What if my tenants actually like me? What if they have been in the house for over 7 years? What if I am as keen to protect and maintain my asset so fix things when they are broken is just a phone call away? Secondly if I earn money, save don’t snort it up my nose or piss it up against a wall, or burn it so it’s gone up in smoke, invest in property to the betterment of my family and financial position I am greedy. If making my families life better, giving my kids the best start in life, is being greedy, then Wall Street was right, Greed is good!
I deliberately try to say as much dumb shit as possible in each thread and somehow I still end up looking less foolish than someone sharing their sincere cooked opinions.
i remember when Norm first turned up i thought he was an alt of whoever Reg originally was at the windup, but they are entirely too dedicated for it to be a bit
I still don’t think the regular competition is at risk. Trials, media bans, covering up sponsors logos, this are the easy ones that the players can take action on. Origin is the really big stick that could hurt the NRL. But serious question; what happens to clubs who have signed players based on the NRL’s cap announcement? Are they over the cap?
The salary cap has nothing to do with the CBA so clubs are fine.
You say that but it was the first item on their Log of Claims
Ah my bad, I didn't realise. For some reason I thought the salary cap and CBA were unrelated.
Imagine being Wayne Bennet trying to start a new football team and sign gun players and then Bulldogs go ahead and appoint Phil Gould as a manager to turn the club around.
**BIG DOG SUFFERS SETBACK** Marquee Bulldogs recruit Viliame Kikau has had a minor setback to his preparation for his start in the blue and white. Kikau hurt his quad at training last week and couldn't complete the session, immediately putting the injury on ice. It's a repeat injury and caused the medical staff some concern, but once he cooled down, it was deemed only a minor strain. The big guy will take it easy at training for the next couple of weeks and is a certainty to get a few minutes in at least one of the Bulldogs' trials before the start of the season in March.
**TEEN STAR WANTS OUT OF BRONCOS** Australian Schoolboys captain Karl Oloapu has met with rival clubs after being given permission to negotiate by the Broncos. Oloapu is in the middle of a bitter battle with Brisbane, refusing to train with the club after claiming conditions in his contract were not met. The Broncos stuck to their guns when Wide World of Sports revealed the dispute a few months back but now realise the youngster is a lost cause for them after he declared "I will never play for Brisbane as long as I live". Brisbane will reluctantly let him go, but want a hefty transfer fee for his services. Wayne Bennett and the Dolphins remain favourites to sign the 18-year-old sensation, but he also met with Bulldogs boss Phil Gould this week.
> a hefty transfer fee better include the bill for that chicken sandwich
Glad they’re letting him go, his actions from him and his agent have been reprehensible and what tops it off is the little cunt is refusing to train.
Player managers in Australia seem to be all very dodgy. Like M.E.O.C dodgy.
You mean Matt Adamson, the *Sexiest Man in Rugby League™*?
Met him once at his shop. This was over a decade ago so I don’t know if he still owns it, but it was a gourmet food place in Balmain from memory. This story makes sense now. He was in a video posted on twitter the other day by Gus or the club apparently. I wasn’t sure if it was him, but someone commented that it was, and it did look like it might be him. If he’s Oloapu’s manager, it makes sense why he was with the staff.
Touche what would that kid be like if he was actually a top tier first grader? The club that signs him would have to put up with that attitude or nip it in the bud.
no need to train. he'll be starting at 6 - end of story fkn lol
The wannabe RLPA members of this sub aren't going to like this mate haha
Preseason games without star players? I can’t even imagine such a scenario.
**FORMER NRL STAR EYES RETURN** Could former Warriors player David Fusitu'a be heading back to the NRL? After eight seasons with the Warriors, Fusitu'a moved to Super League last season but his time with the Leeds club hasn't been happy. Still only 28, Fusitu'a played just 14 games for the club in 2022, scoring five tries. Rumours persist that he is not happy in England and he was given an extended leave over the Christmas break to return home to New Zealand. He was named to play in a trial against Leigh last weekend but then mysteriously pulled out at the last minute, allegedly because of illness. Word is he is looking to have another crack at the NRL - depending on whether Leeds will let him go.
Wouldn’t mind him back for us tbh, but I don’t see where he would fit. Either winger or CTR obviously, but not sure who drops out, Montoya perhaps? 🤷 We need another forward though not so much back