Ferryman
Juniors
- Messages
- 11
RUGBY league's most powerful stars last night gathered en masse to advocate an NBA-style pay structure that will guarantee them a fixed percentage of the game's future revenue. In an unprecedented show of unity, hundreds of players representing the nine Sydney-based clubs descended upon Olympic Park for this year's Rugby League Players Association AGM.
Representatives from out-of-town clubs also tuned in via video link, through which Broncos bookends Petero Civoniceva and Ben Hannant petitioned the RLPA to fight for a percentage package rather than a fixed-figure salary cap.
Incredibly, the players have been without a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for almost five months.
The previous deal expired on October 31 last year and RLPA boss David Garnsey is still awaiting feedback from the newly formed Independent Commission to start negotiations toward a five-year CBA.
They are likely to start once the new broadcast deal is finalised, which is hoped to deliver enough funding to raise next year's salary cap to $5 million.
But influential players want the RLPA to petition for a percentage-based cap that automatically assures them more money should the game increase its revenue.
Before the meeting at Novotel Hotel, Civoniceva said player advocates had studied percentage pay scales in US sports and wanted the RLPA to pursue a similar system in the upcoming talks.
"It's something that the boys and other players have spoken to me about," said Civoniceva, the RLPA's chief player representative. "There's a few boys who want to discuss that and there's a particular player (Hannant) who's looked at different models around the world.
"There's a strong view that as a group that's the direction we should head in.
"We want to throw it around the meeting for discussion."
The 35-year-old statesman has regularly been left posted as a lone voice for his peers, who have shown limited interest in aggressively advancing their rights.
But that changed dramatically last night, with the Bulldogs and Panthers presenting their entire NRL squads for the 6pm meeting.
Cowboys skipper Johnathan Thurston rounded up 20 teammates to watch the meeting in Townsville, while Micheal Luck ensured the Warriors had a say from Auckland.
"There's a lot of things happening this year, with the Independent Commission and TV rights deal," Ennis said. "Too often in the past we as a player group have not been strong enough in standing up for our rights. That has to change. We have to get involved and that's why I brought our entire team to the meeting."
Civoniceva said: "It's been disappointing in the past, but players are beginning to change their mindset and understand the issues.
"There's been a lot better communication between all players and the RLPA, not just the captains and senior blokes."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...v-rights-deal/comments-e6frexnr-1226306624289
Representatives from out-of-town clubs also tuned in via video link, through which Broncos bookends Petero Civoniceva and Ben Hannant petitioned the RLPA to fight for a percentage package rather than a fixed-figure salary cap.
Incredibly, the players have been without a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for almost five months.
The previous deal expired on October 31 last year and RLPA boss David Garnsey is still awaiting feedback from the newly formed Independent Commission to start negotiations toward a five-year CBA.
They are likely to start once the new broadcast deal is finalised, which is hoped to deliver enough funding to raise next year's salary cap to $5 million.
But influential players want the RLPA to petition for a percentage-based cap that automatically assures them more money should the game increase its revenue.
Before the meeting at Novotel Hotel, Civoniceva said player advocates had studied percentage pay scales in US sports and wanted the RLPA to pursue a similar system in the upcoming talks.
"It's something that the boys and other players have spoken to me about," said Civoniceva, the RLPA's chief player representative. "There's a few boys who want to discuss that and there's a particular player (Hannant) who's looked at different models around the world.
"There's a strong view that as a group that's the direction we should head in.
"We want to throw it around the meeting for discussion."
The 35-year-old statesman has regularly been left posted as a lone voice for his peers, who have shown limited interest in aggressively advancing their rights.
But that changed dramatically last night, with the Bulldogs and Panthers presenting their entire NRL squads for the 6pm meeting.
Cowboys skipper Johnathan Thurston rounded up 20 teammates to watch the meeting in Townsville, while Micheal Luck ensured the Warriors had a say from Auckland.
"There's a lot of things happening this year, with the Independent Commission and TV rights deal," Ennis said. "Too often in the past we as a player group have not been strong enough in standing up for our rights. That has to change. We have to get involved and that's why I brought our entire team to the meeting."
Civoniceva said: "It's been disappointing in the past, but players are beginning to change their mindset and understand the issues.
"There's been a lot better communication between all players and the RLPA, not just the captains and senior blokes."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...v-rights-deal/comments-e6frexnr-1226306624289
Last edited by a moderator:
