The NRL’s pay dispute has reached full-blown crisis point with players threatening to strike during the premiership, claiming a radical boycott may be required “for the good of the game”.
The players and the league have been locked in a stalemate since the collective bargaining agreement expired last November.
The NRL season launch is already in jeopardy as the RLPA continues to fight for better conditions post retirement, chiefly seeking medical retirement and transition funds for the health and education of players once they hang up their boots.
But now Parramatta back-rower Shaun Lane, an RLPA delegate for the Eels, says the dispute has lingered for too long and a strike may be the only solution.
“I think everyone’s hopeful of a resolution soon but, whether it’s realistic or not, I’m not too sure,” Lane told AAP on Tuesday.
“It’s dragged on for way too long. It should have been handled six months ago and obviously it’s heading to a time where some action may need to be taken in order to finally resolve the conflict and get what we need to get out of this bargain.
“A strike is probably the last thing that everyone wants to occur and obviously understanding the best interests for all the stakeholders in the game – players, clubs, the NRL, fans, sponsors – the last thing that anyone wants to happen is to strike and for footy to be cancelled.
“So we’ve tried to do everything that we can to signify that we don’t want to do that and that we want to resolve these negotiations before it gets to that point.
“But unfortunately you’ve seen historically sometimes these things need to occur.
“I guess if it does get to that point then we will be willing to do whatever’s necessary.”
Lane said “the most appropriate next steps” were discussed at the most recent RLPA leadership conference last month, with only the third strike in more than a century of premiership rugby league obviously the most drastic – and last resort – course of action considered.
He suggested the tipping point comes because the NRL isn’t listening to the RLPA.
“We’ve been really showing our unity as a playing group, getting behind the RLPA and our stance, and that hasn’t really resolved anything yet so I guess showing our unity isn’t quite enough to really get them at the table to where we need them to be,” he said.
“So I guess escalating the situation may need to be done and hopefully we don’t have to boycott any games but, if it does eventually get to that point, I guess we gave them plenty of time to get stuff sorted.
“Hopefully it doesn’t happen during the season because everyone just wants to see footy – and us included.
“I’m sure the fans don’t want to see any footy not being played either.
“But it’s unfortunately the right thing to do, though, and what needs to happen for the good of the game and for the good of the playing group.”
Rugby league historian David Middleton told AAP a round-one boycott by Super League-bound clubs in 1996 and a protest from Glebe in 1917 had been the only ever strikes to hit the code since the ARL was founded in 1908.
