ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has slammed suggestions the NRL is keeping their financial situation a secret from the RLPA as CBA negotiations take an ugly turn.
The heated discussions saw NRL clubs reportedly threaten to form a rebel league as the financial stand-off with the governing body reaches breaking point.
V’landys has hit back at the players association and vocal NRL clubs who suggested the ARLC is hiding their finances, instead revealing the RLPA has been made aware of a proposal that will deliver a record $300 million in grants to the 17 teams.
“It’s crap. The figures are always released to the clubs,” V’landys said to The Daily Telegraph.
“They have had them for months. It’s all rubbish, it’s all falsehoods.
“Most of the stuff the clubs and the RLPA is saying is false because Andrew Abdo (NRL CEO) has given them the figures.
“We have no interest in hiding anything.”
The NRL’s current proposal will see the salary cap increase to at least $11 million in 2023, with each club also receiving $5 million in grants above the cap.
Across the 17 NRL clubs there will be an extra $85 million to be used, while the league will reportedly hand $272 million to clubs to record the highest funding in the history of rugby league.
“We negotiated an extra $38 million to the players because we supplied the figures to the club and Hugh Marks (former Channel 9 boss hired by the NRL to assist in CBA talks) had also given them the figures,” V’landys said.
“The clubs and players will be better off than ever under our proposal.
“They have never been in a better position, instead of claims they are better off being on the tools. I don’t see too many carpenters earning $500,000 a year.
“We have opened the books up to the clubs. What more do they want?
“They want to see what we made on Magic Round and the grand final.
“Realistically, it’s irrelevant. You don’t look at the game’s finances in one element, you look at the game’s revenue as a whole and that’s what we have provided to the clubs and the RLPA.
“What is the point of getting one element of 100 financial items? They will be getting a share of the whole pie, not just one piece.”
“Once the players actually see the offer and how they have been misled, they will realise how attractive our deal is for them.
“They have had access to the books at all times.”
Meanwhile, RLPA boss Clint Newton has grave fears as NRL clubs kick off their pre-seasons for the 2023 season this week.
Newton explained he was initially optimistic an agreement would be reached soon, but now his confidence is “fading”.
“The NRL might not like it, but we have a responsibility to be transparent with the fans’ players and heroes, talk about our claims, negotiate and get a deal done that respects the players’ contribution to generating the revenues we all benefit from and growing and promoting the game,” Newton said.
“A CBA is a crucial foundation for the game to build on.
“We’ve been more transparent than ever before with promoting our claims because we can proudly stand behind them.
“Is it not our job to continually advocate for improvements for our past, current and future players? Or should we rely on the NRL and Commission to do that too, but wouldn’t that be a conflict of interest?”
