Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Sport
Murray Wenzel

Capewell renews push for NRL pay talks

NRL players are ready to "draw a line in the sand" over their stalled pay deal, Kurt Capewell says. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Kurt Capewell has not ruled out a player strike if the NRL will not negotiate the details of the new collective bargaining agreement.

The Brisbane and Queensland backrower confirmed on Tuesday the Broncos would not take part in NRL promotional duties, in line with other clubs' protests, unless the governing body "comes to the table, ready to negotiate".

Asked if players were prepared to boycott games if there was still no action, the Rugby League Players' Association (RLPA) advisory group member said "hopefully it doesn't come to that".

The initial deadline was October last year and Capewell says there has never been a sincere effort made to listen to the players' demands.

"(The NRL) have belief if they wait it out long enough we're just going to have to sign (but) we're not going to stand here and cop it," Capewell said after training on Tuesday.

"We're ready to draw a line in the sand and we'll make a stand.

"We don't want it to come to (a player strike) but if the NRL are going to sit on their heels and not budge, who knows where it's going to go?

"But I'm sure they'll be able to see we're not happy and how connected we are."

Clubs will be able to spend up to $12.1 million on players this season - a record figure and an increase from the 2022's $9.6 million - with a rise in the minimum salary for a top-30 squad player to $120,000.

NRLW sides have also been given a beefed-up salary cap, of $884,000, for next year, although no season start date or length has yet been confirmed.

The figures revealed by the NRL in December only apply to the 2023 season, but the RLPA say they only were informed of the proposed increase in the hours before the announcement.

And Capewell said concerns go far beyond the basic financials.

"It's the NRL's strategy to paint a picture of us (as greedy), wave a shiny toy in our face and hope we're silly enough to run into that CBA," he said.

"There's still so many parts that are nowhere near (acceptable) and we're prepared to fight for what we think is fair.

"The CBA controls a lot more than just our salaries; we want a fair revenue share, a genuine seat at the table, and want to be heard.

"It's not about the wage, it's about setting up funding for past players, welfare and tertiary education."

He said train-and-trial hopefuls seeking an NRL deal and NRLW players had been most impacted by the delay.

St George Illawarra and Cronulla have both cancelled NRL media opportunities at the last minute in recent days.

"At the moment we're not doing the NRL (promotional) stuff ... it's something we've all decided to do and hopefully grabs the NRL's attention and shows we're not happy," Capewell said.

"This is the most united the playing group's ever been."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.