The Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) has tabled a new proposal for players to receive extra payments outside of the salary cap for NRL Finals appearances, akin to the current arrangement for State of Origin players.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, players from the top eight teams could make up to $36,000 outside the salary cap should be plan go ahead.
Grand final participants would earn $16,000 for playing in the season's ultimate game, while week one finalists would receive $4000, with that number going up each week of the finals. This means that a player could earn up to $36,000 on top of their current salary without any impact on their club's salary cap position if they can get all the way to the grand final.
“Playing finals is a reward for players, clubs and fans,” RPLA head Clint Newton told the Herald.
“The players who train and play for the biggest games of the season should be rewarded for that and share in the game's success.
“Playing finals is more revenue for the game and more games for the players, which involves additional heavy contact – and they're the most intense games outside of Origin.
“Our proposal means each player is paid the same match fee for each finals game and is separate to what clubs would otherwise receive.”
The plan has already been met with some criticism, with concerns about whether such a policy would create a situation where players would take less money to sign with a successful club over a struggling outfit, creating and entrenching further disparity between the game's best teams and the rest.
Negotiations are ongoing.