Wests Tigers centre Joey Leilua has taken a swipe at the NRL’s head office, claiming executives aren’t copping the same scale of pay cuts as players.
The Rugby League Players’ Association was on Wednesday afternoon sorting through the finer details on a pay agreement with the NRL for the coronavirus stoppage.
Players are then expected to again be consulted on the changes, which are likely to include a 75 per cent cut on remaining wages for the rest of the NRL year.
That figure does not take into account the five months of pay players have already received from November, meaning players will lose about 46 per cent of their contract value.
The NRL’s executives have meanwhile taken a 25 per cent pay cut, with the company running on skeleton staff.
Chief executive Todd Greenberg could also take unpaid leave beyond that cut if required.
“I don’t understand, I thought they said we were all in this together,” Leilua told Fox Sports.
“If the players have to agree to a 75 per cent cut, then why not the executives at headquarters as well.
“We’re the players, without us there’s no product. We understand it’s tough times everywhere, but this doesn’t seem fair.”
Leilua said other players were asking the same question.
Player payments ordinarily come completely out of club grants, however under a deal struck with the 16 clubs some of that will now come from the NRL’s injury hardship fund.
Struggling clubs have also had to place several hundred staff on leave, in a bid to manage their finances through the crisis.
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys told AAP on Sunday that Greenberg could take unpaid leave at some point, but there was a lot of work to be done before then.
“He’s already indicated he is going to take a 25 per cent pay cut,” V’landys said.
“But if worst comes to worst and we’re months and this thing isn’t done, he would have to.
“But at this stage he certainly won’t be because there is a lot that’s got to be done.”