Both sides valid in CBA stoush: NRL star Luke Keary

Jasper Bruce | July 10, 2023

Sydney Roosters five-eighth Luke Keary can empathise with both sides in the ongoing collective bargaining agreement dispute as NRL players front the press for the first time amid the Rugby League Players Association’s media strike.

Keary has also disputed claims by Canberra coach Ricky Stuart that players are unaware of the nuances to discussions around the CBA, which is now eight months overdue.

The RLPA announced its most drastic action in 20 months of talks last Wednesday after a meeting of more than 50 players from across the NRL.

Until a draft CBA has been agreed upon, players have agreed not to talk to media on days when games are played, with chief executive Clint Newton saying the blackout could stretch on for months.

It comes as the league and its players dispute several of the 100 items in the CBA, including the NRL’s ability to lengthen the season without consent, access to and ownership of player data and allocation of RLPA funds.

Throughout the negotiation process, the NRL has maintained it has listened to players and acted in good faith but must ensure the long-term financial security of the code.

The RLPA believes it had little choice but to take strong action given the current CBA can only roll over until the end of October before no agreement will be in place at all.

With no matches played until Wednesday, Monday marked the first time players were available to media since the RLPA announced its strike.

“It’s the RLPA doing their job and the NRL doing their job,” Keary said.

“It’s the RLPA’s job to fight for our rights, protect us into the future, protect the income, protect the players and how many games they’re playing, things like that.

“But you can take yourself out of it and go, ‘Well what’s the NRL’s job?’.

“Their job is to run the game, keep it viable, keep it sustainable into the future.

“But it’s not going to stop the RLPA from trying to protect the players’ rights.

“We see it all the time with unions, there’s always going to be a bit of pushback and there should be. Because if there’s no pushback, someone’s getting pushed over.”

Keary pushed back against suggestion from Stuart last week that “95 per cent of players” would not know why the media blackout has been enacted.

“Communication has been really effective from the RLPA and the delegates,” Keary said.

“The RLPA are constantly out, coming here (at Roosters headquarters) to feed that information back, they were here a couple of weeks ago.

“It’s kind of an invalid argument.

“With every union, there’s going to be guys that are not interested, don’t care, just get on with it and that’s fine. As a young player, I was exactly the same.

“But there are boys that are invested at the top and they’re the ones that we’re leaning on for the information and the guidance.”