Triple M’s and Broncos legend Gorden Tallis says players shouldn’t be concerned with the allegations a senior NRL employee illegally recorded a closed CBA meeting with the Rugby League Players Association.
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The NRL world on Tuesday was rocked after a Sydney Morning Herald report revealed that a letter surrounding the explosive allegations was sent to ARLC chairman Peter V’landys.
While acknowledging that negotiations should always be “behind closed doors”, Tallis said it would be foolish for players to make a big deal of the allegations.
“You would only be worried if you’re getting recorded, if you’re saying something wrong,” Tallis said on LiSTNR’s Footy Talk League Podcast.
“I get recorded for six hours every week, it doesn’t worry me.
“If you’re going in and negotiating, and somebody records it, it’s a negotiation, who cares?”
Tallis then added why he understands the NRL might’ve felt “cornered” into making a questionable move at the negotiating table.
“They (NRL players) are the ones airing the dirty laundry… they’re allowed to get on and flood their social media… the NRL must feel they’re cornered a little bit.”
Players across all 17 teams have gone public in recent weeks with their frustrations over the NRL’s renewed CBA, which has so far resulted in several teams going as far as to boycott league promotional and media commitments.
Those frustrations come after the RLPA disapproved of the recent CBA, with the governing body frustrated over the lack of communication between the players and the NRL over the details of the new pay and salary cap structure.
The NRL in December last year revealed a 25 per cent increase to the salary cap, rising from $9.6 million to $12.1 million.
The NRLW’s salary cap model and the competition’s injury hardship fund are also among the players’ frustrations.
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