National Rugby League side Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith has "hinted at a growing divide" between the players and the NRL after admitting he was frustrated at the "slow progress of talks between the governing body and the players union," according to Brent Read of THE AUSTRALIAN. Smith, speaking amid claims that the NRL had "deliberately ignored requests" from Rugby League Players Association CEO Ian Prendergast to supply its financial records as part of the negotiations over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, said that the players’ "only interest was in working with the current administration to grow the game." However, he suggested attempts to do that "were being stymied by a lack of co-operation from the NRL." Asked whether he felt the NRL and the players were on the "same page," Smith said, "At the moment, no." The slow progress of talks has "already raised concerns over a number of issues, chief among them the failure to provide guidance over the size of the salary cap for 2018." NRL CEO Todd Greenberg on Monday "denied suggestions the governing body had been asked for their financial records three months ago." Greenberg: "That's not true. We met with the RLPA about two weeks ago. It was our first formal collective bargaining agreement meeting, and we agreed we would be absolutely transparent with all the financials" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 9/6).
