NRL flexible over season

Round 2 to go ahead but plans could change

THE NRL is pushing ahead with plans to play games in Round 2 this weekend but won’t rule out swift changes should the coronavirus threat escalate in coming days.

NRL chief executive officer Todd Greenberg has flagged the possibility of players bearing some of the financial burden of a league shutdown should the game’s revenue streams dry up.

The game is heavily reliant on TV broadcast revenue and desperately needs the season to continue to avoid falling into a financial black hole.

With the New Zealand Warriors failing to commit to playing beyond this weekend’s game against Canberra, the NRL has several issues it needs to resolve in a rapidly changing landscape.

“At this stage our competition will continue as planned for Round 2, albeit with all of our stadiums closed,” Greenberg said yesterday.

“However, if the advice of some of our experts’ change, then clearly we’ll change with it.

“We’ve commissioned the work with a biosecurity expert, that work is now well underway and that information will be presented back to the Australian Rugby League Commission later this week.”

With each individual game adding $2.5 million to the NRL’s coffers, any cancellation of matches would hit the league hard, and players would not be immune from renegotiating their wages.

“There are provisions in our contracts with our players under the collective bargaining agreement, it’s called the material adverse change provision,” Greenberg said.

“So if the revenues of the game drops, it allows us to go back and have a discussion with the players about the collective bargaining agreement.

“It may be that in any industry where your revenues don’t meet your costs, you have to have another look at how your costs are fixed.”

While supporters will be locked out of games from this weekend, Greenberg said resolutions around tickets and memberships would be communicated “soon”.

“Please be patient with us, be patient with the game and be patient with each of your clubs,” Greenberg told members and fans.