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NRL season's start in jeopardy

NRL season's start in jeopardy

Players are set to reject the latest pay deal put to them by the Australian Rugby League Commission which could jeopardise the start of the NRL season.

Players' representative Cam Smith, speaking on Sky Sports Radio, said the latest collective bargaining agreement (CBA) would be 'knocked back'.

The process has been a drawn out one with the RLPA agreeing in December to take the ARLC's CBA to the clubs for their perusal.

It seems a large number of players are still unhappy with the latest offer with issues revolving around the increased salary cap, welfare and education issues and bonuses for the average player.

With the start of the NRL season a little over four weeks away the development will be worrying for the ARLC.

Although Smith intimated that a strike would be unlikely he could not guarantee that the season would begin on time.

"Unfortunately it looks like the CBA is going to get knocked back," Smith said.

"It went to the vote of clubs and the majority have said no. I don't think they're that far off an agreement. We just need to fix up some small things.

"It's just some small clauses in the proposal that we need to fix up and clarify with the NRL before we can tick it off and say yes.

"I think there are some players in the competition that are happy with the proposal that the NRL have tossed up. What we decided on was that everyone needs to be on the same page and everyone needs to be happy going forward and at the moment we're not, but hopefully in the near future that will be all OK and we can get on with playing the season."