Mar 18th, 2020

Mar 18th, 2020

Wests Tigers star Joey Leilua has slammed the prospect of a pay cut amid the coronavirus crisis, saying that the NRL should have better managed its money.

The future of this NRL season looks extremely shaky, though the league is playing on for round two this weekend.

The Rugby League Players Association has told its members that they must be prepared for a pay cut, with crowds already locked out of games and the distinct possibility that the NRL will be suspended; which would present the game with a financial crisis.

Leilua questioned why that should be the case in a league boasting a $1.8 billion broadcast deal.

Wests Tigers centre Joey Leilua during his team's season-opening game against the Dragons. (Getty)

"I thought they were handling their money better but if they say it's only going to last three months, then we are in trouble," he said.

"All the boys were like, 'I better be not getting cut short because we have mortgages to pay and bills to pay'.

"I don't know what is going to happen but I'm not all for that if we have to get a pay cut. We'd rather keep playing.

"But I'm sure there is some money in there with the revenue we've got, they should be saving money for when these things happen."

Leilua's brother, Tigers back-rower Luciano Leilua, said that he was concerned for the NRL's lower earners.

"Most definitely [it's concerning], I think most boys would find it concerning, especially for the boys who are on minimum wage," he said.

"Some boys are living pay cheque to pay cheque.

"For me, it's just one of those things if it happens you just have to deal with it. But the NRL is doing what it can to make sure it doesn't happen, it will probably be the last resort not to get paid."

Joey Leilua was asked whether the government should provide financial assistance to the game, and suggested that it was important for the NRL to play on and buoy the spirits of footy fans.

"If I was a normal average person, working a normal job ... we are the entertainers of this country and NRL in Australia if we don't play ... I don't know. I don't know what to say. I might get in trouble. Todd [Greenberg] might not pay me," Leilua said.