RLPS boss tells NRL stars to hold off on signing new contracts
June 17, 2016 6:03pm
Peter BadelEXCLUSIVEThe Courier-Mail
THE Rugby League Players Association has advised 400 NRL players, including the code’s biggest stars Johnathan Thurston and Anthony Milford, not to sign new deals as tensions rise in CBA talks.
The Courier-Mail has obtained a communiqué, sent by RLPA boss Ian Prendergast, urging stars to hold-off signing new contracts until the NRL provides more clarity around the salary cap for 2018.
The NRL, its 16 clubs and the RLPA are hurtling towards a turbulent and potentially fiery round of CBA negotiations. One well-placed source described the current situation as a “dog’s breakfast”.
A staggering 231 fulltime NRL players are off-contract next season, including 48 at Queensland’s three clubs the Broncos, Cowboys and Titans.
The free agents include some of the NRL’s household names headed by Cowboys superstar Thurston, Broncos pivot Milford, Maroons fullback Darius Boyd, Cronulla sensation Valentine Holmes and Origin ace Greg Inglis.
Many NRL player agents are trying to broker new deals now but are hitting a dead-end with NRL clubs, who are refusing to implement ratchet clauses to cater for possible salary-cap increases.
The code remains in the dark on a salary-cap figure for 2018, prompting the RLPA to request the NRL’s financials to examine how much the players deserve under the next CBA deal.
It can be revealed Prendergast issued correspondence to RLPA members on May 24. It includes an advisory to all NRL players saying: “We suggest you delay signing any deal that applies post-2017 until this (the CBA) is resolved”.
Prendergast confirmed the edict on Friday as the RLPA prepares to fight to ensure players are not short-changed financially in relation to total NRL revenue.
“The RLPA raised genuine concerns regarding the ability of clubs to effectively manage player payments beyond the current CBA,” Prendergast said.
“The main issue is the lack of certainty due to the current CBA expiring at the end of 2017.
“We have encouraged agents and players to hold off on signing contracts until this was resolved.
Valentine Holmes is one of many NRL stars off contract in 2017.
“If it can’t be then we will look to work with players and agents to assist them in navigating their way through the uncertainty of the current landscape.”
The new CBA will not be resolved until at least March next year, making it difficult for the NRL’s top stars to determine their value beyond 2017.
Leading player agent Gavin Orr, whose stable includes Holmes and Cowboys sensation Jason Taumalolo, said the present contractual climate is a nightmare.
“It’s all up in the air,” he said. “You don’t know the salary cap is going to be and where your player ranks in the pecking order.
“In my dealings not all clubs are agreeing to ratchet clauses. Most big-name players are going to sit back and won’t rush into new deals.
“If the NRL wants the game’s best players to secure new deals, the clubs and agents need clarity sooner rather than later.”
