The National Rugby League and its clubs "have been at odds in recent times," but they banded together "to quell the player rebellion that threatens to cast a pall over the finals series," according to Brent Read of THE AUSTRALIAN.
A committee made up of execs from the clubs and the NRL "was formed during a phone hook-up" and charged with "resolving the impasse that has angered some of the game’s elite players and their union."
Curiously, the issue that was "driving a wedge between some clubs and the NRL is now uniting them -- money." It is understood it was "agreed at the meeting that any extra revenue that comes into the game over the next two years should be used to stabilise the clubs’ financial situation." Collectively they lost more than A$30M last season.
Their stance was given added impetus by Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett, who called on the players "to pull their heads in and allow the focus to remain on the finals series."
While the Rugby League Players Association "insists the imbroglio is all about welfare," key details of NRL Head of Strategy Shane Richardson’s blueprint for the game’s future reportedly deal with "that very issue." Under Richardson’s plan, players "would be given the eight weeks off they are demanding."
The NRL "would also mandate a maximum of 12 weeks for pre-season and ensure players played a maximum of two trial games per season." It is understood clubs "will also be advised that players should be restricted to a maximum of 30 games a year, as any more is likely to affect their ability to maintain form" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 9/12).
