Former NRL star and New Zealand Warriors coach Tony Kemp has backed the players in their pay war against the competition.
As it stands the NRL and the RLPA are yet to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement, with concerns arising that the season could be disrupted with Round 1 less than five weeks away.
The RLPA has spoken out against the NRL after the competition announced a new salary cap and failed to acknowledge many issues including medical support, insurance, wellbeing programs and hardship funds throughout negotiations.
Kemp believes this lack of dialogue from the NRL has caused the disruption and put the blame squarely at their feet.
“So, what in fact is a CBA? Otherwise known as a collective bargaining agreement, it is simply that, an agreement between parties who collectively decide what’s best for both,” Kemp said on SENZ Breakfast.
“The NRL now faces a major hurdle, first and foremost for not understanding that collective actually means both parties.
“It is therefore earned the rebuttal from its players simply because of the NRL’s decision not to be inclusive.
“Without inclusivity, there is no permission to confirm a collective bargaining agreement.
“CBAs are not new, if you look at the NFL for instance, players have 48.8 per cent of growth revenue ascertained through a collective agreement.
“That’s significant income that doesn’t just go towards player salaries but pre and post-career outcomes, insurance, and wellbeing programs as well as hardship funds.
“In my entire 14 years as a pro footballer and in my 30 years in the game not once have I benefitted from a CBA.
“Therein lies the reason I support the current players’ stance of calling out the NRL.”
With the holdout ensuing, Kemp urged players to “walk the talk” as the season grows closer.
“The NRL has not respected the CBA nor has it included a democratic process and decision making,” Kemp said.
“This prevents playing from voting on and recommending policies that best suit the key player in the agreement – players, not the NRL.
“So where too from here? Players should walk the talk if they are serious about making a stand against dictatorship.
“Honouring the CBA starts with inclusion, voting rights and agreements, it’s very simple – it doesn’t work when the NRL arbitrarily decides who gets what and announces the decisions without even talking to the main stakeholders – the players.
“I think that’s called an NBA – a non-bargaining agreement.”
At this stage, the players don’t want the stalemate to reach a strike but have refused to rule out protesting as an option if talks don’t progress.