The National Rugby League’s (NRL) pay dispute has caused players to threaten to strike, claiming a radical boycott due to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that expired last November.

The NRL had announced a record increase in the salary of male and female players, without a new the CBA being officially signed.

The pay for men has increased around 25% and 153% for women, a decision that was not made under consultation with the players, leading to many issues that were not addressed.

The NRL season is facing setbacks as the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) continues to fight for better working conditions post retirement, medical retirement, transition funds for the health and education of players and more.

As a result, the NRL players are planning to protest during the first week of the pre-season, brought on by the stalemate in negotiations with the CBA.

Furthermore, the players could boycott NRL media appearances, causing disruptions in  content production prior to the season.

Commenting on the boycott, Kurt Capewell, player for the Brisbane Broncos said that the group is united and are willing to fight for their equal share in the game’s revenue, even if it means they won’t play the game.

“As players, we don’t want it to get to that – we love the game and we would never want to see it not on TV screens and let the fans down. What we want as a playing group is the NRL to come to the table and be ready to negotiate,” Capewell said.

Hopefully it doesn’t come to that. As players, we are all united in taking a stand I’m sure the NRL can finally come to the party and negotiate a fair CBA to make sure that doesn’t hinder our game, “ he said.

A strike is now becoming a strong contender with each passing day that an agreement isn’t reached.

On the current situation, Parramatte Eels athletes, Shaun Lane said that everyone is eager for a solution soon, whether it is realistic or not.

“It’s dragged on for way too long. It should have been handled six months ago and obviously it’s heading to a time where some action may need to be taken in order to finally resolve the conflict and get what we need to get out of this bargain,” Lane said.

The announcement comes after the NRL announced a partnership with Kia Australia.