Warriors stars help pay staff

The Warriors players are dipping into their own pockets to help the club stay afloat and staff keep their jobs.

Stuff can reveal that the leadership group at the club decided on Wednesday that they would donate their own money as chief executive Cameron George looks to save as many jobs as possible while the NRL is shut down.

Across the world professional sportsmen and women are preparing to take pay cuts while the coronavirus pandemic has suspended all competitions.

But it’s new for players to have been willing to take a pay cut while also giving money to their club to help it survive.

Warriors halfback Blake Green said the club’s senior players wanted to show the front office staff that they’re in crisis together.

‘‘It’s tough times for everyone in society, not just the NRL, and we’ve got so many fantastic people in our footy club,’’ Green told Stuff. ‘‘Our football staff are like many other NRL clubs, they could potentially be on leave

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Blake Green, left without pay for three months or longer if the game doesn’t return this year.

‘‘We thought that as a playing group we could show our support. We’ve got a players’ fund that we put money into every month and that pays for us to go to a team lunch, or a team activity.

‘‘We decided that we’d make a bigger contribution into that pool this month and offer that money to the club.

‘‘The amount of money isn’t going to match what’s lost, but it’s more the message behind it, that we’re in this together. When your mates are hurting or need help, you help them out.’’

Green and other players in the leadership group, who are all in isolation, discussed what they could do to support the club.

‘‘I rang Roger [Tuivasa-Sheck], Tohu [Harris] and Adam [Blair] and suggested it. At the moment we face a lot of uncertainty as well and there’s a big chance that this month is our last pay as well until the game resumes.

‘‘But while we’ve still got the chance to provide some assistance to our footy club, we need to show our staff that we care and support them.’’

George said he was overwhelmed by the offer from the players. ‘‘When Blake contacted me yesterday and said the guys wanted to propose this, between Roger, Blake, Tohu and Adam, it just blew me away,’’ George said.

‘‘To have the playing group put the club first in this difficult situation, it’s mind blowing.

‘‘But what I said to Blake is that it’s amazing you want to do this, but if the players’ salary takes a cut, then we don’t expect players to continue to do this.

‘‘I couldn’t be prouder of our playing group, led by Roger and Stephen [Kearney, coach] has been a big part of this as well,’’ George said.

There are about 70 staff at the Warriors and George said he was trying to save as many jobs as possible and also keep the club going. I’m working through a process with staff that is confidential, but what the normal was, isn’t the new normal going forward, sadly.’’

‘‘When your mates are hurting or need help, you help them out.’’