NRL players ramp up pay war with league after ‘secret recording’ during talks

NRL stars have upped the ante in their pay dispute with the league, threatening to delay the kick off to pre-season matches, cover logos on jerseys and refuse to do media, a new report claims.

The players have fired this warning in the event that head office does not meet a Thursday deadline over three major conditions in the long-running feud regarding pay and work conditions. 

The Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA) says it will derail this summer’s tournament if an agreement relating to the salary cap in the women’s game and other non-financial NRLW issues is not reached, the SMH reports.

Moreover, the RLPA wants to be granted the right to distribute NRL funding for player-related programs, which include subjects such as hardship and welfare. The funding would be worth $90million over the course of five years.

And tensions were strengthened on Wednesday when an unnamed senior executive allegedly attempted to record private talks with the RLPA without permision.

NRL players have warned they will attempt to derail this summer’s pre-season tournament

The players are locked in a dispute with the NRL over salary cap and working conditions

According to Fox Sports, the senior executive in question faces the sack for their act. 

An email sent to the players by the RLPA ahead of the weekend said: ‘The view of the players was the need to set expectations (what the RLPA need done) and deadlines for the NRL to meet following negotiation meetings.

‘If these deadlines and expectations are not met, players will be forced to implement activations to continue to hold the NRL accountable for their lack of progress.’

The pre-season tournament is the brainchild of NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo

The inaugural pre-season competition – the brainchild of NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo – will see teams compete for a $100,000-winner-takes-all prize.

The Warriors take on the Tigers, while Super League champions St Helens have been invited to the tournament.

But the dispute between NRL players and the competition threatens to hang a dark cloud over proceedings, with fed-up players ready to show their frustrations a matter of weeks from the start of the 2023 season.