Australian coach Mal Meninga is set to have his pay slashed.
Currently on a reported $450,000 per year under a deal signed during the Todd Greenberg era, Meninga hasn't coached a game - through no fault of his own - since the Kangaroos last played in October, 2019 against New Zealand in Wollongong.
Now, according to an Sydney Morning Herald report, Meninga is set to have his pay slashed in a deal the NRL will put to Meninga as a take it or leave it situation.
It's understood the offer will bring the job more into line with current trends, that it's a part time job rather than full time. Meninga, should he accept the new deal to remain in charge of the Kangaroos, is still set to earn up to $200,000 per year, although that will be hinged upon hitting performance-based outcomes which will be built into the contract.
The reports suggest club officials are rather frustrated at the fact the game's finances have been blown to smithereens by the pandemic, and yet there has been no cut in salary for the Australian coach.
Not only that, but NRL head office underwent a major restructure last season, including job cuts, in order to save money and keep the game in a financially viable position.
It's also understood the NRL will not beg Meninga to stay, with the base wage set to be around $125,000 per year.
Meninga spent ten years in charge of the Queensland Maroons - the most successful Origin period for either state in history - before taking up the reigns of Australia in 2016.
In his six years in charge, he has coached 17 games for 15 wins, while he has also had one game in charge of Papua New Guinea between his stints in charge of Queensland and Australia.
Meninga's Kangaroos won the 2017 Rugby League World Cup on home soil, as well as the 2016 Four Nations in England and were set to head to the 2021 version before the tournament was postponed for 12 months following Australia and New Zealand both opting to pull out over safety and workload concerns.