The rugby league World Cup is just two months away and a shocking difference in what players will be paid has been revealed.
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The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that every Australian player will get a guaranteed $40,000 for putting on the green and gold at this year’s World Cup, but players from the other 13 nations could receive just $850 per game played.
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It means the players from other nations who play all pool games and a semi-final and final will get just $4,250 as the Australian players get nearly 10 times that, no matter how far they go in the tournament.
The Aussie players will get more due to a deal made between the ARL Commission (ARLC) and the Rugby League Players’ Association.
The ARLC easily has the funds to pay its players $40,000 each to turn up to the tournament.
Governing bodies of other nations can pay their players more than $850 a game if they wish, but many are stressed financially.
The problem with player payments has been laid bare by the Rugby Football League, the governing body in England, who is in a legal battle with the International Rugby League over unpaid fees from hosting the World Cup in 2022.
Players playing for Pacific nations such as Samoa and Tonga, who were involved in State of Origin this year, will notice a big difference in their match fees.
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The likes of Stephen Crichton, Payne Haas, Brian To’o and Addin Fonua-Blake made $30,000 per game in this year’s Origin series but are facing the prospect of getting just $850 per match at the World Cup.
Haas’s decision to switch to Samoa from Australia will prove costly given he would be a lock for the Kangaroos had he decided to remain eligible to play for the Aussies.
It will be interesting to see if Tino Fa’asuamaleaui sticks with Australia for the World Cup after speculation he might deflect to Samoa for the tournament.
Origin payments are part of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between players and the NRL.
Under that agreement, Australian, New Zealand, Samoan and Tongan players get $3,000 a game for the Pacific Championships tournament, while players taking part in the annual All Star match get $7,000.
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Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters was unaware of the pay disparity but said: “There’s always pressure when you play for Australia, and I also think the financial rewards are not an incentive for any player playing international rugby league – it doesn’t come into it, they’d all do it for nothing.”
England coach Brian McDermott said his players would get paid “what the RFL is capable of paying them”.
World Cup payments will be discussed at the next CBA negotiations.
ORCAS STRENGTHEN 20TH TEAM BID IN HUGE NZ RUGBY UNION BLOW
Christchurch’s bid to become the NRL’s 20th franchise in 2029 is set to receive a massive boost amid reports a deal is close to being struck with former All Blacks coach Scott Robertson to become the Southern Orcas’ inaugural head coach.
The Orcas appear to be the early favourite to become the next team in the NRL, who are said to be interested in adding a second New Zealand-based side.
There’s also a level of haste to have a 20th team by 2029. Under the recently signed $5.3 billion broadcast agreement, the NRL may face a financial penalty of $20 million a season if there aren’t 20 teams in the comp by 2029.
The Orcas are aware of this and are making every post a winner as they aim to put themselves in the strongest position possible to win the 20th NRL licence.
According to CODE Sports, the Orcas have tabled a four-year deal for Robertson.
Orcas chairman Sir Graham Lowe says it would be a move that would rock the rugby union world.
“I know will take a lot of people by surprise but, yes, we have made ‘Razor’ (Robertson) a really competitive and official offer,” Lowe told CODE Sports.
“I’m really confident we’ll get him.
“There wouldn’t be a more well-known guy in the south island. His man-management and leadership skills are there for all to see when you look at his resume.”
Robertson boasts a 74 per cent win rate as All Blacks head coach.
At club land, the 51-year-old guided the all-conquering Crusaders to seven consecutive Super Rugby titles between 2017 and 2023.
The obvious query though around a potential Robertson hire is his lack of experience in rugby league, but as Lowe pointed out, the leadership ability trumps everything else in what they’re looking for in an inaugural head coach.
“Bringing ‘Razor’ in shows the seriousness of where we’re at. In other countries like Australia, it would be interesting for 30 seconds but for New Zealand, which is the heart of rugby union globally, it will take a big gulp and a few whiskeys to settle everyone down,” Lowe said.
“We are well aware he hasn’t coached rugby league but obviously we would make sure we surround him with good assistants. He’s a leader so we don’t see it as a problem at all.
“He understands the language of sport which, believe it or not, is more powerful than the language of rugby league.
“The players will understand it but there will be a few old-school people that might turn their nose up at it. But this is a wake-up call.”
BULLDOGS UNDER FIRE OVER INDIGENOUS ROUND SNUB
The partner of Bulldogs forward Josh Curran has hit out at the club’s treatment of him after he didn’t get on the field during Indigenous Round.
Curran was part of Cameron Ciraldo’s six-man bench for Friday night’s match against the Roosters but wasn’t used by the coach.
Curran, a Darug man, led the Bulldogs out onto Allianz Stadium draped in an Aboriginal flag but that’s the only time he made it out on the ground.
Curran’s partner, Kyra Sutcliffe, reposted Instagram posts from Bulldogs fans who were angry about him not playing.
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Sutcliffe, who works with Indigenous youth, re-posted a comment that read: “It’s crazy using Curran for clout for Indigenous Round & not giving him 1 minute on the field when he’s been one of our best over last month. Make that make sense, family club…”
Sutcliffe re-posted another fan comment which read: “As a Blackfulla, it’s so disappointing to see your ONLY Indigenous player listed get no time on the field during the one round where we’re meant to be celebrating our Indigenous players.”
“Do better Bulldogs, for Josh and for your Indigenous supporters who went into that game excited to see someone they look up to representing their culture spend 80 minutes on the bench,” it continued.
Sutcliffe responded to that comment with: “PREACH Aunty!!”.
Coach Ciraldo brought on bench players Kurt Mann, Sitili Tupouniua, Harry Hayes and Jake Turpin who came on after Bailey Hayward copped a head knock in the 71st minute.
Tupouniua only lasted five minutes after he re-injured his hamstring in his comeback game.
It will likely mean Curran will get plenty of game time in Canterbury’s game against Souths on Friday night.
Canterbury invited Indigenous youths to training in the lead-up to the Roosters game as part of the club’s Indigenous Round events.
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