THE WINDFALL

THE next collective bargaining agreement between the NRL and its players is set to run for just 12 months, clearing the way for a longer deal once it is clear how much money the next TV deal will bring.

Rugby League Players Association chief executive David Garnsey, NRL executives Graham Annesley and Shane Mattiske and club representatives Shane Richardson (South Sydney) and Steve Noyce (Sydney Roosters) met yesterday to begin negotiations for a new agreement.

All parties emerged from the meeting, which ran for more than three hours, with a positive outlook, and another meeting will take place next week. Details of the meeting will be tabled at a club chief executives' meeting in Sydney tomorrow. Free-to-air and pay TV deals don't run out until the end of the 2012 season, but people close to the action on that front are optimistic new deals could be finalised early and start with the 2012 season - rather than 2013.

''We are working towards a 12-month deal on the CBA,'' Richardson said last night. ''It makes sense, and I think there is a good chance that is how it will work out.

''The relationship between the clubs and the players' association is a good one, and that is a very important thing going forward to an independent commission. There is a real appetite among us to help work towards the commission happening.''

The latest agreement, which runs out on October 31, was a three-year deal. Presuming the next deal runs for just the one year as a gap filler, the following deal would probably be put together for anywhere from three to five years.

Garnsey said he left the meeting feeling good about the negotiations and the chances of working out a new deal without much angst.

''There was a sentiment among everyone at the meeting that we can work towards a satisfactory result,'' he said. ''The players are realistic about affordability, but there is also a need to close the gap between what NRL players earn and what players in other codes earn.

''One of the big aims is obviously to do something to stop the leakage of players to other codes, and after we looked at things from a number of angles today I certainly didn't leave that meeting feeling depressed and looking down. I came away feeling positive about the chances of working something out.

''There is still a lot of work to be done, but we talked about a lot of figures for various things and there was not one thing where all parties weren't at least in the ball park.''

Cap increases, increased payments for representative games, finals prizemoney and an increase in the minimum NRL wage were discussed.

Annesley, the league's chief operating officer, said: ''Now the NRL will report back to the club CEOs and the RLPA will report to the players. There is no sign-off on anything at this stage, but it's only early days.''

The game will obviously be much better off if the TV deals can be finalised ahead of time, allowing for the anticipated big cash injection to arrive a year earlier, but it will depend on the nature of negotiations with Channel Nine and other parties interested in at least some of the free-to-air rights. Channel Seven has made it clear it is serious about bidding to pick up some or all of the rights.