NRL players have been asked to take a pay cut of up to 87 per cent as the league begins to brace for the doomsday scenario of a lost season.
The Rugby League Players Association board will meet on Thursday night to discuss their response after being handed the worst-case option on Wednesday.
Both the league and the players’ union are due to convene again on Friday, when it’s hoped a deal will be finalised to give the game a clearer picture of its future.
The development follows advice from the NRL’s pandemic expert this week that the 2020 season will be a complete wipeout.
That scenario could leave several clubs in a dire financial position with questions raised over whether all 16 clubs would survive into 2021.
No figure has yet been agreed to and the union were on Thursday seeking further clarity over the NRL’s allocation of funds and outgoings over the coming months.
The situation would likely change if the competition starts earlier, but the parties are working on a worst-case scenario and are going backwards from there.
Any deal would likely come into effect until the end of this year’s season, with players having already been paid 40 per cent of their annual salary.
A tiered system of player cuts remains the highest priority for both the NRL and RLPA, shielding minimum-wage players from having next to no income.
Regardless, the pay cut would affect up to 500 NRL players and their families.
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said minimising the damage to fringe players during the shutdown had been the chief concern for the players.
“There wasn’t one of those players who were concerned about their own financial future,” Greenberg said of the game’s elite players on Thursday’s Fox League Mornings.
“The primary concern that came through on that call was, ‘What are we going to do about the players from numbers 20-30?’
“And, ‘How do we make sure they stay afloat during this six month period?’ It was a nice, warming thing to hear the players have that view around their colleagues.”
Greenberg went on to describe the important of the NRL and RLPA showing a united front in the midst of a global crisis hurting every corner of the world.
He re-iterated how league central sent 95 per cent of their employees home on leave for three weeks, while clubs are also working with skeleton staff.
“When we went into the agreement with the players, the first thing we said and the agreement we made is they will get a percentage of the revenue,” he said.
“The players wanted to be genuine partners of the game, so they wanted to share in the game’s successes. So if the game does really well, they get a bigger slice.
“But in a genuine partnership, when the revenue goes down, you have to be aware that your percentage is going to drop with that.
“That’s the conversation we’re having with the players.”
MarkD
Guest
Which experts do we listen to? The morning TV resident GP to the PM and his CMO to FOX experts all giving conflicting messages at times. I've heard 2 epidemiologists give 2 different actions. One recommending a complete shut down and the other saying the virus needs to work through the community at a rate that doesn't overwhelm the health system but not to slow so that secondary outbreaks occur. So many with a small amount of knowledge, an opinion and given airtime to amp up and scare people. The Jones's,Fitzsimmons and Co are not experts but fear mongers and unfortunately there are so many who want to believe them. A lot of 'Wolf Wolf, Sky is falling ' going on and similary a lot of 'it's fine, nothing to worry about' attitudes out there. Why can't we just have a measured response giving it to us straight?
Nick
Roar Guru
Yeah, but what's your point? Because the WHO made a clear mistake, you then presume every other piece of advice is wrong and must be questioned? You'll get nowhere with that.
Corona Kid
Guest
Can smith will still take home $200,000.
MarkD
Guest
Whoa moose, what's with the attitude? Just pointing out that the WHO, the World Health Organisation, dragged it's feet on recommending closing of the borders.
Big Daddy
Guest
Now the payment plan for the rest of the season has been sorted out the NRL are still trying to pull a rabbit out the hat with these pie in the sky dreams about 15 round season , SOO and Kangaroo tour which is going to save the season. Let's face it the season is finished , let's reset for 2021 and make plans accordingly.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
And a gold star from the kindergarten of getting the $hit kicked out of you.
Nick
Roar Guru
Ok - please furnish us with your medical degree, subsequent degrees in virology and epidemiology and then I'll take you seriously. There were plenty of actual experts in Australia who warned Australia of the consequences. You chose to ignore.
MarkD
Guest
Gday Moose, the so called experts ,WHO , waited for the virus to get out of China first . Talk about letting the horse bolt!
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
That’s $195 per week until the end of the year.
Nick
Roar Guru
Indeed...it's the largest of all the schools that make up the University of Life.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
You have to assume that 40% is gone though. They've lived through at least 40% of their annual expenses. Probably more as the off season would be when they'd have to plan family holidays, etc.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Graduate of the School of Hard Knocks too.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
The minimum wage is $110k. Only receiving 13% of that is't doing better than many at all.
Nick
Roar Guru
87% of what's remaining, not the initial salary. In your example, it's 13% of 60000 left. That player will get $7800 for the rest of the year. $47800. Ouch.
Nick
Roar Guru
They are better than your guesses, so maybe listen to them. If you listened to their "guesses" from the get go, you wouldn't have a viral spread. But no, you all only accept the scientists are right when it's too late.
Paul
Roar Guru
A key point that seems to have been lost in this discussion is the following "Any deal would likely come into effect until the end of this year’s season, with players having already been paid 40 per cent of their annual salary." In other words, these guys have been paid nearly half of their contracted amount already, which for a guy on $100,000 is 40 grand. If he only gets another 13% for the rest of the year, he's still making $53,000 and this is worst case scenario. I'm guessing the RLPA might be able to squeeze a little more from the NRL. If these guys were expected to ONLY get 13% of their total contract, that's another matter entirely, but that's simply not the case.
hayboy
Roar Rookie
Is 'pandemic expert' an oxy moron? Everyone is guessing what will unfold and across what timeline with this. Even the educated, "expert" guesses are still guesses.
Wait, what??
Roar Rookie
R.e.m. said it best it's the end of the world as we know it and everybody hurts, cop it sweet like the rest of us
Simon
Guest
A game that exists solely to allow working class people to play rugby being the first to cave under corporate pressure at any sign of disruption is ironic
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Exactly - players aren’t paid just to play games. In this case they are being stood down from all duties, so a pay cut is somewhat justified.