Wakefield negotiate wage cuts with 30 players
Wakefield Trinity agreed salary cuts with all but three of their players before their return to training today in preparation for the resumption of Super League.
The club were able to persuade 30 out of 33 players to agree salary reductions, which will reduced the squad’s take-home wages by 11.3 per cent on average. The club said they would review their position in September.
Wakefield have not played since their 17-14 Challenge Cup victory over Bradford Bulls on March 13 because of the pandemic. They managed two Super League games, including a 27-26 home defeat by Hull FC a week earlier, before the league was suspended. Their first game back will be against Wigan on Aug 9.
Discussions on salary cuts had continued for the past few weeks, with chief executive Michael Carter praising captain Jacob Miller and the senior players for their assistance in resolving the issue. He added that only 33 season-ticket holders had asked for refunds, which had helped the club limit the wage cuts and protect the salaries of the club’s young players.
“I’d like to pay tribute to Jacob Miller and his fellow leadership group for their understanding at a time when club finances are still unstable,” Carter said.
“On the back of the Government Job Retention Scheme, and also the fantastic reaction from our seasonticket members, where just 33 people have indicated that they would seek a refund, I was able to put a revised scheme together that enhanced the players’ salaries, and protected completely the younger members of the squad.
“The vast majority of the squad have accepted this and there will be further reviews in September should circumstances change.
“This now means that the average net monthly salary reduction is 16.3 per cent across the squad, and the net annual reduction will be 11.3 per cent of take home pay.”
Carter also clarified that signings, such as Liam Kay joining on loan last week from Toronto Wolfpack, were done on a “cost-neutral basis” and did not have “a detrimental effect to the cuts that players and staff have had to take”.