Berkeley_Eagle
Current Status: 24/7 Manly Fan
PLAYER negotiations for next year are likely to be done under an increased salary cap after the players' association aimed to sign off on a new collective bargaining agreement before June 30.
The NRL and players' union met for four hours yesterday to open discussions on the game's next CBA, with both sides agreeing the game can afford an increase from the current $3.36 million cap.
Both parties will meet again next Wednesday to begin negotiations in earnest, with the sticking point set to be the exact increase the game can sustain.
Rugby League Professionals' Association president Matt Rodwell would not disclose the figure to which he would like to see the salary cap increase, but he said it was important to lock in a decision quickly.
"Absolutely, we are aiming for before June 30 because we are looking to provide the clubs, the players and the player agents with a solid picture of where the issues are so they can go about negotiating contracts and look towards their futures," he said today.
"I think all players should be rewarded for the way the game has grown and the increased revenue from it."
After June 30, players off-contract the following season are no longer bound by the anti-tampering rules and are free to negotiate with rival clubs.
With interest in rugby league at an all-time high and the signing of lucrative free-to-air and pay TV deals improving the NRL's financial position, the players have been pushing for an increase.
Likewise, several player managers and club chief executives have called for a cap hike to ensure top players aren't forced overseas or to rugby union.
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"There needs to be an increase but it must be one the game can afford," NRL chief executive David Gallop said.
"The RLPA has not ruled out legal action if it doesn't get what it wants, but initial discussions suggest that won't be an issue.
Players' association president Simon Woolford said: "I don't think we'll get to that.
"It's been acknowledged from both sides the cap needs to go up.
"We want what the game can afford. In the next couple of weeks we'll have a clearer figure as to what that figure is.
"Everything has been really positive and I'm sure we'll get a figure both sides are happy with."
AAP
and have BK and beaver go around again
The NRL and players' union met for four hours yesterday to open discussions on the game's next CBA, with both sides agreeing the game can afford an increase from the current $3.36 million cap.
Both parties will meet again next Wednesday to begin negotiations in earnest, with the sticking point set to be the exact increase the game can sustain.
Rugby League Professionals' Association president Matt Rodwell would not disclose the figure to which he would like to see the salary cap increase, but he said it was important to lock in a decision quickly.
"Absolutely, we are aiming for before June 30 because we are looking to provide the clubs, the players and the player agents with a solid picture of where the issues are so they can go about negotiating contracts and look towards their futures," he said today.
"I think all players should be rewarded for the way the game has grown and the increased revenue from it."
After June 30, players off-contract the following season are no longer bound by the anti-tampering rules and are free to negotiate with rival clubs.
With interest in rugby league at an all-time high and the signing of lucrative free-to-air and pay TV deals improving the NRL's financial position, the players have been pushing for an increase.
Likewise, several player managers and club chief executives have called for a cap hike to ensure top players aren't forced overseas or to rugby union.
Advertisement:
"There needs to be an increase but it must be one the game can afford," NRL chief executive David Gallop said.
"The RLPA has not ruled out legal action if it doesn't get what it wants, but initial discussions suggest that won't be an issue.
Players' association president Simon Woolford said: "I don't think we'll get to that.
"It's been acknowledged from both sides the cap needs to go up.
"We want what the game can afford. In the next couple of weeks we'll have a clearer figure as to what that figure is.
"Everything has been really positive and I'm sure we'll get a figure both sides are happy with."
AAP
and have BK and beaver go around again
