To clarify confusing media reporting, the RLPA has not received a new financial offer from the ARL Commission and NRL in 2023.
For the avoidance of doubt:
- A financial offer from the ARLC is a total figure that captures all the players’ salaries, benefits and funding for programs.
- The last financial offer the RLPA received from the ARLC and NRL was on December 23rd 2022 for $1.347bn.
- The financial offer on December 23rd 2022 for $1.347bn is the same figure that has been reported today as a new offer.
- In January 2023, the RLPA sent a counter-proposal to the ARLC and NRL. This counter-proposal did not request any additional money above the ARLC’s financial offer from December 2022.
The ARLC financial proposal was recycled and positioned as new information to the media. Given the relative progress that was made during last week’s negotiations, as well as Tuesday’s official announcement of an in-principle agreement for NRLW financial terms, this does not help either party make further progress.
The RLPA’s counter-proposal, which does not request any additional money from the ARLC, is still before the NRL and is capable of acceptance.
We remain actively involved in bargaining this week. We will continue to negotiate on key areas important to players, including RLPA autonomy and agreement rights on core terms and conditions.
There is still much more work to do as we continue to negotiate a joint CBA for NRLW and NRL players which captures all their terms and conditions.
