With the announcement of the National Rugby League women's competition for '18 "out of the way," the code and its key stakeholders are "shifting into planning mode," according to Fiona Bollen of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. At this stage, the competition is a "puzzle full of moving pieces" with many details still to be determined after the number of licenses is confirmed in the new year. Until that happens, the number of players involved in the first season remains unknown, but the Rugby League Players Association plans to "start talks with the NRL, most likely after Christmas, to make sure all the needs of players are considered and taken care of." RLPA general counsel Tim Lythe, who will be "central to the negotiations," said, "There are a number of areas that still need to be finalized in relation to this new competition. In the near future, the RLPA will negotiate with the NRL the terms and conditions relating to the working conditions of the players involved. It's crucial that we get the right level of protection and support in place from the beginning." What they need to consider are the "usual commitments that exist in the modern game" like appearances on behalf of club and code, travel and media spots. There is the need for players to access high performance facilities and staff, scheduling of training sessions, and "possibly the biggest question -- remuneration." The recent collective bargaining agreement allocated A$3.75M ($2.83M) to the elite women's game over five years, which gives the NRL A$750,000 ($565,000) at its disposal each season. Until the club structure is determined, it will not be known how player payments will be managed, but "all these obligations are ones the RLPA and NRL will work through" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 12/11).
