The NRL will not hold its season launch this year, as a pay dispute continues with the players.
On Tuesday, nine days before the first game of the 2023 men's season, the NRL announced the traditional event to mark the upcoming season would not be happening this year.
"Due to the ongoing collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, the NRL will not hold a season launch function this Thursday as originally planned," the NRL said in a statement.
"The NRL remains focused on making positive progress regarding the joint NRL and NRLW agreements."
There were fears players could boycott the official event as part of a protest against the lack of a CBA for NRLW players.
A strike for Round 1 is unlikely but the players are sticking solid in their effort to land the deal they're after.
“We’re getting closer to where we want to be but it’s not exactly where we need to be," said Parramatta prop Junior Paulo
"If actions have to come then we’ll have to put them into practice but we’re moving in the right direction."
“It has to make sense, we’re not going to be agreeing to something that we’re half-hearted on we have to be invested in it fully.”
The financial terms of the women's CBA have been finalised in principle but there are still matters to sort out before an NRLW contract window can open.
The finer details of bridging contracts are being completed, which will allow players to sign with NRLW clubs during the contract window, ahead of the CBA getting the green light by all parties.
Then the bridging contracts will be updated to fully fledged NRLW contracts.
The parties are hopeful this can be done seamlessly and within a short timeframe.
It is holding up the future of players like Jillaroo Evania Pelite, who is targeting a Gold Coast contract when the pay dispute ends.
Pelite won gold with the Australian rugby sevens side at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and was a member of the Jillaroos side that won the World Cup last year.
She has been in discussions with Titans coach Karyn Murphy and club officials about playing her third season with the club.
"I don't know too much at this point in time. I'm having those conversations now," she said.
"It is a big win for the women's game, the opportunity to have those conversations. Hopefully now players aren't too far off securing a contract and a little bit of security.
"I do love the Gold Coast Titans. They have been great. They have supported me on and off the field and ideally that's where I would like to end up for my third season, and they are aware of that."
ABC/AAP
