It seems like this is all a financial situation from the NRL admins point of view. The fact that medical retirement is only an option for players with no pre existing injury tells me that they are concerned that if insurance doesn't cover the cost of wages, they won't grant it as they don't want to risk being asked to cough up the money. I feel like that's also why they limited the injury allowance to $350,0000 in rep games.
At a time when numerous rep players have said that burnout is becoming an issue we regularly see the NRL setting up new competitions during the pre and off season. Players might have concerns about burning out. But they generally forget those concerns when a dollar sign floats into view. In a way it's like dropping a tonne of food in a pigs pen and expecting it to wisely regulate it's diet.
I think that every club needs to start pressuring the NRL about both medical retirement and the compensation level for players injured in representative games. I understand that the NRL needs a profit margin. But that's all reliant on the clubs producing a marketable spectacle.
In recent years the admin has focused heavily on income in numerous ways.
- Staff allowances are now capped.
- Salary cap spending- If clubs don't spend their cap allowances they'll demand that money back.
- Player TPA's. If what Hayne said when he left for the NFL still stands, the NRL still receives a portion of what players personal sponsorship deals bring in.
But when it comes to budgeting for their own wages, the administration of the NRL reportedly can choose to pay themselves bonuses based on their own selection criteria.
The last tv rights sponsorship was supposedly going to allow for more resources to be invested in grass roots football. At present its not funneling that far down the line. AFL and soccer are going to take advantage of the fact that our game isn't looking after it's foundations. I don't see a strong future for league if the current baboons running it are left in charge.