The Union and the Polish
The Rugby League Players Association is, compared to their counterparts from other code, relatively young. Of course the Super League war slowed the progress of a player union as the players were paid lots and lots of money (who would complain).
Twenty odd years later and the RLPA has found their feet and is delivering to its members. They claim– “Influence, Support, Contribute and being First Contact for players” and they are certainly are meeting their brief. No one would expect anything more from the RLPA, the AFL Players Association or any other professional players unions.
And while supporting and contributing to the discussion about welfare and pay issues is the fundamental role of any union, I can see the RLPA potentially doing more.
What I find is the most fundamental flaw with any union is their tendency to be reactionary. They react to the expiry of collective bargaining agreements, the latest player welfare issue or any media driven agendas. Which is a perfectly acceptable role, save for the fact that it makes the whole venture smell like a minor player in code. They are the little brother who you consult but never really listen to, nodding along while planning what to say to shut them up.
History suggests there is a way player unions can exert more power, striking. It’s always drastic but reminds the authorities that a strong union always has the sports most precious asset in the palm of their hands – the players. But again it is reactionary and is considered to be the most damaging action any one group within a code could exact.
So if unions have such potential power in their hands, how can they influence the decision makers in the game in a more positive and productive way. Well the answer is in the word should.
There have been a lot of ‘shoulds’ tossed around lately by players, fans and media. There should be a trade window, there should be an internal draft, there should not be a cooling off period in contracts.
If the RLPA could gain the commitment of all its members (and admittedly that’s a big if), there’s nothing stopping them drafting a plan for a trade window that would be theoretically water tight because it’s coming from the players. The NRL would embrace it because, in a way, the players would be policing themselves. The RLPA would instantly shift from being a minor stake holder to a valued member of the team. The union could leverage the expected goodwill to solve other problems the NRL struggles with (did someone say Integrity Unit?), maybe even push for a place on the Commission.
There would be few losers, and, hopefully a lot fewer shoulds.
The Polish
I’ve got to credit the NRL about how the ANZAC weekend gameday experienced played out. It was dignified and respectful. But I was more impressed with how each games pre-game ceremonies mirrored each other. Players walked out slowly, side by side, national anthems and last post. It was a polished display usually seem in the well managed world of European soccer.
