Pay up: Tim Mannah and James Maloney speak at the The Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) mass player meeting. Credit:Brook Mitchell The NRL has offered a new pay deal that gives players 29.5 per cent of projected revenue and 25 per cent of revenue above forecast in a package that amounts to a pay rise of 52 per cent over five years. However, while the RLPA is not disputing the cap figure the two parties remain at odds over the exclusions of particular revenue streams and other issues such as welfare, insurance and as the NRL's desire to have access to players' bank and phone records for integrity investigations. They hope to resume negotiations with the NRL but players on Monday night discussed as a group the option of industrial action such as boycotting the Dally M awards in grand final week, withdrawing support for NRL commercial events during the finals and challenging the salary cap as an unreasonable restraint of trade. A possible boycott of the World Cup is also on the radar. "We haven't ruled anything out," Cronulla five-eighth and RLPA board member James Maloney said. "Obviously at this stage there are things we've got that we can use as leverage if the NRL didn't want to come to the party.

Mass meeting: Nearly 300 NRL players met to discuss the status of the collective bargaining agreement negotiations. Credit:Brook Mitchell "We've said all along we want a fixed share of revenue. We can't do a deal that gives us a set amount of revenue and over five years when the game makes well above what it was predicted to make we end up getting a hell of a lot less. That's where we've been the whole way through." Maloney also does not believe that players should have to hand over bank and phone records to the NRL's integrity unit. "I don't think it's necessary," he said. "Would you hand over your bank records? It seems unreasonable. There is not too many other people in the world who have to hand over their bank records to their boss." RLPA chief executive Ian Prendergast said of pay talks, "the reality is whilst we're close there is still some work to do".

"I think it is disappointing that the players have been positioned as greedy throughout the negotiations. This has always been about so much more than the salary cap from the players' perspective," Prendergast said. "There are a range of areas that we want to address to increase professional standards across the board. "It's important that the fact these guys put their bodies on the line week in, week out, and they're only in it for a short period of time, that that's recognised and their value is reflected." He said he hoped that an agreement could be reached in the "coming week" but maintained players were prepared to take further action if required. Loading

"We can't rule out taking action. They'll stand up and fight for what's fair," Prendergast said. "We discussed next steps if we can't secure the outstanding objectives that we need to deliver a successful CBA, not only for the players, but for the game. "We've still got a month before the Dally M and I believe that by locking ourselves away we can avoid taking that action but I certainly can't rule that out.