‘If We Don’t Get This Sorted Who Knows What’s Next’ | RLPA Tom Symonds On Stalemate With NRL

RLPA player operations manager Tom Symonds joined The Rush Hour with Gus, Jude & Wendell to give an update on the current stalemate between themselves and the NRL.

‘Players are looking for a result here,’ said Symonds.

LISTEN HERE:

‘[The players] simply want a fair CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) agreed, so we can all get along with things.

‘Players aren’t looking for things that are over the top or unreasonable.

‘It’s not about money, it’s about simple terms and conditions that impact them.’

With the situation at boiling point there have been rumours of extreme measures going to be taken.

Suggestions the NRL players could be considering halting games altogether if a resolution can’t be reached have created alerts within the rugby league community.

Though, Symonds didn’t state that was the plan, though the RLPA will be sticking firm to their beliefs and goals.

‘We’ll always be guided by the playing group, just like in the media boycott,’ said Symonds.

‘What’s next? It’s hard to say.

‘If we don’t get it sorted who knows what’s next?’

With nothing progressing, there have been loud calls from fans, players and the media alike calling for an independent mediator, something the RLPA is pushing for.

‘We have put forward an industrial relations expert, an expert mediator to come in,’ Symonds explained.

‘[We’ll] work this out, see this through, let’s get this expert in who deals with this day in, day out.

‘What are the issues, let’s get this done and get this CBA sorted.

‘If this continues onto the finals so be it, the players want a resolution.’

Though, both the RLPA & NRL find themselves increasingly further away than being closer together.

What happens from here will be very interesting.

Nothing seems like a certainty at the moment.