On the first day of a media blackout imposed on players by the RLPA, Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart accused the organisation of “using” players.
As CBA discussions between the Players’ Association and the NRL reached breaking point on Wednesday, players escalated their protests by announcing their intention to boycott all media duties.
The boycott forbids players from taking part in any and all interviews with media on NRL, NRLW, and State of Origin game days, regardless of whether or not their team is playing.
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The RLPA said the media boycott would take effect from Thursday onwards indefinitely.
Given an NRL weekend typically has games from Thursday to Sunday, that leaves only Monday through Wednesday – or Tuesday given State of Origin next Wednesday night – for players to conduct media.
On Thursday, a number of coaches were rolled out for the customary mid-week press conferences previewing weekend matches. One of those was Stuart, who took the opportunity to blast the RLPA, saying the boycott hurts the game.
“It’s not (the media’s) fault there can’t be an agreement,” he said.
“I feel sorry for the players, because I believe if you spoke to 95 per cent of the players, they wouldn’t even know why they’re not allowed to talk to the media.
“I think (the players) are being used, and it’s wrong.
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“There’s young boys there that have no idea why (the boycott) is there, and I just think they’re being used in this regard. I think it is wrong.
“Our administration will get to the core of it and hopefully fix it.”
Queensland coach Billy Slater suggested the boycott would only hurt the fans.
“The response from the Queensland State of Origin team is that the players won’t be speaking to our (fans) over the next few days,” he said
“So the coaching staff will certainly pick up the slack there.
“We see it as a really important part of our preparation; all Queenslanders are a part of our preparation.
“If anything, (the players will) focus on their preparation and don’t have to talk to (the media) too much.
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“They are very professional guys and it hasn’t really been spoken about … Queenslanders will still hear from this group.”
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo on Wednesday said the boycott was “disappointing”.
“The media are storytellers, the media take the game and the players to the fans. So a lockout of media access only punishes our partners, only punishes the fans. That’s disappointing.
The boycott is effective indefinitely on days when NRL, NRLW, or State of Origin matches are scheduled – Thursday-Sunday and then Wednesday next week. Players will only participate in content for club-owned channels.
They may do media outside those days – ie Monday and Tuesday, or Monday through Wednesday from the conclusion of round 20.
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