NRL players will boycott all game-day media commitments until a new collective bargaining agreement is drafted in the most drastic action taken by the rugby league players association in their protracted talks with the NRL.
Announced by the RLPA at an emergency press conference on Wednesday, the media strike means all post-match press conferences will be boycotted from this weekend until further notice, including in Wednesday’s final State of Origin match.
Men’s and women’s players will not engage in pre-match, halftime or post-match interviews on game day and have been instructed not to take calls from journalists.
The only time players will be available to media will be from Monday until Wednesday during the week, but from Monday to Tuesday next week with Origin finale falling on the Wednesday.
Internal club media and or pre-arranged contractual commitments will be permitted.
The RLPA say they will keep restrictions in place until the completion of a draft CBA, until the two parties meet with an industrial relations mediator and until player benefits and support payments return to pre-COVID levels agreed under the previous CBA.
Throughout the negotiation process, the NRL has maintained it has been acting in good faith but has been reluctant to engage in a public war of words with the RLPA.
“The overwhelming feedback we have heard from players is that we are all united,” an RLPA statement read.
“We have been forced into this position because of the NRL’s take-it-or-leave-it offer for your CBA. The NRL and ARL Commission have effectively halted negotiations.”
The RLPA convened a meeting of over 50 players on Tuesday night for discussions around the CBA, which was set to come into effect last November but is now eight months overdue.
Private health insurance, the implementation of a transfer system and revenue distribution have all been points of contention between the two warring parties throughout the protracted talks.
The RLPA had previously refused to engage its players in media commitments with NRL.com staff but those restrictions were loosened earlier in the season.
