Disillusioned with Rugby League

[Misty Bee]

Thie players dispute - and the disgusting way the RLPA have handled it, has left me with a very bitter taste.

From what I understand the sticking point is a demand to raise to allowable salary from sponsorships per player frmo $200 000 to $300 000. That effectively means an increase of the salary cap by $1million.

And they expected that in 2 days? 2 friggin days?

That just proves that the elite players are just plain greedy. Have a look at the names we are talking about here. Johns, Tallis, Fittler, Menzies, Woolford, Barrett...all the big earners. All the leaders. The code's elite.

I have watched Rugby League since 1974. I am old enough to have seen Greame Langlands play. In that time I have devoted by sporting passions for a great and wonderful game - a game grown on the philosophy of the working man - a fair days pay for a fair day's work. I have seen Blocker Roach share schooners with men in blue singlets after a game. I have seen Arthur Beetson beaming with pride after winning a reserve grade game. I saw Mark Coyne donate all his testomonial money - a six figure sum - to Charity.

Yet these players, in their 'full time professionalism' are seperated from reality. Player managers feed their egos to the point that Chris Walker leaves Souths after a handful of losses and missing out on ONE Origin game. Nathan Blacklock spits the dummy after missing an origin series, and heads to Union. Many more have taken steriods. Canterbury's -players rolled in dough, seemingly 'unawere' that they were over the cap.

I can't help but think that this is a veiled attempt by powerful clubs to lift the cap. Canterbury, Brisbane, Newcastle and Easts (ironically 4 clubs over the cap last year) recently agitated to get the caplifted. Common sence prevailed. Now their captains and elite are leading this rediculous action.

And what a week to do it. AFL has kicked the NRL out of Telstra Stadium for asemi final. In Melbourne League almost couldn't even get a look in at an unused Colonial. The Union world cup hype is reaching deafening proportions, and all fuelled by well dressed, polite and available Union players winning over disenfranchised League fans. In Brisbane the Lions are professional - available to the media and the fans - the same fans that the Broncos went to war over NSW and the ARL about - only to promptly ignored save for a few terse grumbles from an obscenely arrogant Wayne Bennet.

League is losing it big time. Player greed and club greed surfaces too often. Canterbury's disgusting acts last season are not trumped by this. 2 days to raise the salary cap or we boycott the Dally M's?

Didn't Dally M join Rugby League because he was upset with the inherent greed and corruption of Rugby Union?

Rugby League offers nothing to endear itself to fans. There is no League personality - player or coach - who offers any credibility on behalf of the code to Australian Sport.

Right now I am extremely disillusioned with the code at a time where I amalways captivated by it. It has let me down. Again.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Thie players dispute - and the disgusting way the RLPA have handled it, has left me with a very bitter taste.

From what I understand the sticking point is a demand to raise to allowable salary from sponsorships per player frmo $200 000 to $300 000. That effectively means an increase of the salary cap by $1million.

And they expected that in 2 days? 2 friggin days?

That just proves that the elite players are just plain greedy. Have a look at the names we are talking about here. Johns, Tallis, Fittler, Menzies, Woolford, Barrett...all the big earners. All the leaders. The code's elite.

I have watched Rugby League since 1974. I am old enough to have seen Greame Langlands play. In that time I have devoted by sporting passions for a great and wonderful game - a game grown on the philosophy of the working man - a fair days pay for a fair day's work. I have seen Blocker Roach share schooners with men in blue singlets after a game. I have seen Arthur Beetson beaming with pride after winning a reserve grade game. I saw Mark Coyne donate all his testomonial money - a six figure sum - to Charity.

Yet these players, in their 'full time professionalism' are seperated from reality. Player managers feed their egos to the point that Chris Walker leaves Souths after a handful of losses and missing out on ONE Origin game. Nathan Blacklock spits the dummy after missing an origin series, and heads to Union. Many more have taken steriods. Canterbury's -players rolled in dough, seemingly 'unawere' that they were over the cap.

I can't help but think that this is a veiled attempt by powerful clubs to lift the cap. Canterbury, Brisbane, Newcastle and Easts (ironically 4 clubs over the cap last year) recently agitated to get the caplifted. Common sence prevailed. Now their captains and elite are leading this rediculous action.

And what a week to do it. AFL has kicked the NRL out of Telstra Stadium for asemi final. In Melbourne League almost couldn't even get a look in at an unused Colonial. The Union world cup hype is reaching deafening proportions, and all fuelled by well dressed, polite and available Union players winning over disenfranchised League fans. In Brisbane the Lions are professional - available to the media and the fans - the same fans that the Broncos went to war over NSW and the ARL about - only to promptly ignored save for a few terse grumbles from an obscenely arrogant Wayne Bennet.

League is losing it big time. Player greed and club greed surfaces too often. Canterbury's disgusting acts last season are not trumped by this. 2 days to raise the salary cap or we boycott the Dally M's?

Didn't Dally M join Rugby League because he was upset with the inherent greed and corruption of Rugby Union?

Rugby League offers nothing to endear itself to fans. There is no League personality - player or coach - who offers any credibility on behalf of the code to Australian Sport.

Right now I am extremely disillusioned with the code at a time where I amalways captivated by it. It has let me down. Again.

Good post Misty.......i agree with everything you say!!,

I feel though if the players where that serious......why don't they boycott a semi???.....

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Woolford is not paid an elite salary. Actually not one Raiders player is on $300,000 a year.

 

[poojar]

well said misty

 

[Dogs Of War]

Woolford is not paid an elite salary. Actually not one Raiders player is on $300,000 a year.

How the Hell could you know that, are the Raiders now posting a breakdown of all the players salary's? I think not.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Woolford is not paid an elite salary. Actually not one Raiders player is on $300,000 a year.

How the Hell could you know that, are the Raiders now posting a breakdown of all the players salary's? I think not.

It's common knowledge for Raiders fans.

 

[eloquentEEL]

Woolford is not paid an elite salary. Actually not one Raiders player is on $300,000 a year.

How the Hell could you know that, are the Raiders now posting a breakdown of all the players salary's? I think not.

It's common knowledge for Raiders fans.

How much is Ian Hindmarsh on?
Brian Smith, earlier this year, when asked about why Parra couldn't retain some players, said that they couldn't match offers from other clubs. In one case, he said that Parra offered to double what the player was on, but another club offered triple the doubled amount, ie. six times what the player was originally on. Now, he didn't give any actual figures or name any names, but of the players that left, I could imagine Hindmarsh being one of the higher profile ones, and could not imagine him being on much less than 50k a season when he was at Parra.

 

[Southernsaint]

How much is Ian Hindmarsh on?
Brian Smith, earlier this year, when asked about why Parra couldn't retain some players, said that they couldn't match offers from other clubs. In one case, he said that Parra offered to double what the player was on, but another club offered triple the doubled amount, ie. six times what the player was originally on. Now, he didn't give any actual figures or name any names, but of the players that left, I could imagine Hindmarsh being one of the higher profile ones, and could not imagine him being on much less than 50k a season when he was at Parra.

I'd ask for double or triple what I was originally on too if it meant I had to play under Brian Smith. According to the RLW player poll he's the coach most players would least like to play under...

The Parramatta set-up is very professional & Smith's preperation is always meticulous but he's an abrassive bugger & I can see why some players don't like him.

Cheers,
Ben S.

 

[Caged Panther]

Misty you may be disillusioned but that post focuses on merely one of the players demands that the NRL is refusing to meet.

What about the issue of death benefits?

The RLPA wants three contract years payed out if a player should die in a game, the NRL is only prepared to guarantee 2 years. Now in the context of the loss of a human life 1 years salary doesn't really mean that much, however that extra years pay may offer that extra security for the players family to get themselves up off the ground and move on.

Now sure for a player on $350 000 it's easy to say that a three year payout is a ridiculous amount but the fact is how many players are really on that sort of money. A maximum of 2 per club? That's 30 players. The vast majority of players earn a good portion less than that. In the unfortunate event of death those players family would get alot less than the sort of money you are talking about, maybe enough to pay off the morgage, but then what do they do?

Personally I don't think that sort of demand is unreasonable its the same sort of demand any of us would make if we could.

And as for the argument that how often do people die playing professional rugby league. Not many but 1000's people die in their jobs every year and we afford them some protection, playing rugby league is these peoples job why shouldn't they be afforded protection too.

 

[salivor]

Misty we all know you have an agenda against the Broncos but this is the second thread in a row you've tried to paint them as the bad guy for wanting the cap raised.
Just remember that they are a little different to the Bulldogs and Roosters who want a huge increase purely to benefit themselves with no thought of what it would do to the struggling clubs. The Broncos supported an increase in line with inflation which is only fair. I think it only came out at about a 250k increase to the cap for the 5 or so years it hasn't been raised with inflation.

 

[eloquentEEL]

Misty we all know you have an agenda against the Broncos but this is the second thread in a row you've tried to paint them as the bad guy for wanting the cap raised.
Just remember that they are a little different to the Bulldogs and Roosters who want a huge increase purely to benefit themselves with no thought of what it would do to the struggling clubs. The Broncos supported an increase in line with inflation which is only fair. I think it only came out at about a 250k increase to the cap for the 5 or so years it hasn't been raised with inflation.

hehehe, you'll soon learn that Misty is generally very set in his beliefs, and when he has an agenda (such as calling for Smith's head), he'll mention it as often as possible (nothing personal Misty, just calling it how I see it)

 

[eloquentEEL]

How much is Ian Hindmarsh on?
Brian Smith, earlier this year, when asked about why Parra couldn't retain some players, said that they couldn't match offers from other clubs. In one case, he said that Parra offered to double what the player was on, but another club offered triple the doubled amount, ie. six times what the player was originally on. Now, he didn't give any actual figures or name any names, but of the players that left, I could imagine Hindmarsh being one of the higher profile ones, and could not imagine him being on much less than 50k a season when he was at Parra.

I'd ask for double or triple what I was originally on too if it meant I had to play under Brian Smith. According to the RLW player poll he's the coach most players would least like to play under...

The Parramatta set-up is very professional & Smith's preperation is always meticulous but he's an abrassive bugger & I can see why some players don't like him.

Cheers,
Ben S.

Now let's think about that for a second. If you're a player faced with the questions of which coach you'd most/least like to play under, what would you say? If you were part of the majority of players that are happy where they are, you'll probably say you'd be most happy under the coach you're currently under, and since you probably haven't played under most of the others, then you'd probably say you'd least like to play under your old coach. Now, if you accept that logic, then you only have to look at how many ex-Eels are running around out there in the other clubs to see where the results would have come from. This is probably also why (if memory serves correctly) he was voted BOTH most liked AND least liked in a similar poll the previous year (ie. because so many players have played under him).

 

[syphon]

normal workplaces do not have additional death cover. they have workers comp, and the rugby league players have something similar to workers comp now. They are extremely lucky that the NRL is even willing to fork out 2 years salary in the event of a death to or from work. Most people have to fork out their own premiums for personal life insurance with an insurance company.

and in the event that a club goes bankrupt.. firstly do the NRL have this money to burn to fully pay out every contracted player? and secondly, why is this the NRL's responsibility. it is the clubs. If your workplace was to go belly up, thats tough luck, it is unreasonable to expect the NRL to wear the burden of failed clubs.

 

[Misty Bee]

This isn't an anti Broncos post. Their salary cap breach was mild, a technicality if you like, compared to the bulldogs. I was just noting the similarities between clubs pro salary cap increases and players at he forefront of this action.

Caged Panther - what other workplace guarantees 3 years wages for death benefits?

 

[wittyfan]

Us fans and the game itself are the big losers with this whole Dally M mess.

 

[Caged Panther]

Caged Panther - what other workplace guarantees 3 years wages for death benefits?

I never said any other workplace gurantees three years, just said that workers were afforded some protection (in reference to workcover), wasn't aware that this extended to league players.

In any case your also talking about protecting players interests in the event of a club going broke. This is an issue which many other workplaces have had industrial disputes over in recent times, I don't here any of the workers involved in those dispute being called greedy.

 

[syphon]

This is an issue which many other workplaces have had industrial disputes over in recent times, I don't here any of the workers involved in those dispute being called greedy.

these industrial disputes do not include remuneration in the event that a company go bust.

 

[syphon]

wasn't aware that this extended to league players.

yes, although sporting organisations do not have specific workcover like normal workplaces (being because the premiums are much higher for sporting bodies, a lot of amateur comps cant afford the premiums), the state govt underwrites a very similar workers comp to the one that would operate in your workplace.

death cover is covered by Life Insurance, and that is a personal responsibility, not the company that employs you, unless of course negligence is involved.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

u guys should check this out:

http://www.nrl.com.au/rlpa.html

OK, here's my thoughts.....

1. Minimum Wage - Both have agreed so no problem here

2. Sponsorship money - I think players should be able to earn sponsorship money, but there should be some guideline as to what they actually have to do to get it. Getting $100,000 to have a few cardboard cut-out pictures of you in some mobile phone store is a scam, but getting $50,000 to do a series of ads and some appearances would be acceptable. This is a touchy subject as it allows Clubs to use sponsors to pay extra salary to players, which can be a kinda way of breaching the cap. Basically I think there should be some guidelines involved.

3. Death Benefits - Damn, the RLPA want 3 years wages? Would I even come close to getting this? I mean with quite a few players running around on 150k thats 450k paid out. I know a human life is worth more than that, but this is not a standard that is met in any other sector of the workplace. Notice the good points made by the NRL at the bottom of this part of the document

4. Medical Insurance - Agreed by both parties so no issue here

5. Financial Records - I basically think the NRL has a right to view this information. Other codes have this right, and without it the possibility of rorting the Cap system will forever remain. The players should all stop being arrogant bastards and for once eat humble pie for the benefit of the game, under the provision that this information is not to be released by the NRL in any way.

6. Remuneration Guarantees - It is NOT the NRL's fault if a Club goes bust. The CLub should be responsible for making their players' wages safe. With the NRL offering the 2.5m grant as an assurance, this is a very big gesture, effectively saying that they will take the money from the Clubs to give it to the players if necessary.

I watched NRL on FOX on Wednesday and was not at all impressed with Butterfield. He is an arrogant son of a bitch that expects the NRL to fold to the players, or is it to himself? The players can all go "Without us you wouldn't have the game!" but damn, idiots, without the game you wouldn't be overpaid, underworked celebrities that you all are. Get a grip, the world, nor the NRL, doesn't work around the players. If anything it works around the fans.

There will always be people willing to play the game, even if the CBA isn't in affect, but without the fans there would not be the millions of dollars pumped into the pockets of the players.

 

[Moffo]

Having over 35,000 at the game tonight makes me feel a bit better after such a bad week with the ground issues and the Dally M's being cancelled

Cheers,
Moffo