But there is expected to be a rise of at least $1 million next year. That will be a huge bonus for some of the game’s biggest stars, who have their contracts tied to ratchet clauses which allow their wage to be set at a certain percentage of the salary cap.

The NRL will also have to provide an extra grant next year to the Dolphins, who will enter the competition as the code’s 17th franchise.

The RLPA has asked the NRL to provide further detail on the code’s financial picture before entering the next stage of CBA talks, with the issue of representative payments to also be tabled.

NSW and Queensland players earn $15,000 per match under a revised pay deal struck in 2020, down from the $30,000-a-game bonuses they were lavished with before the pandemic.

Rugby League Central announced a $43 million surplus for its last financial year, a figure helped by the fact an extra Origin series fell within the window after the delayed 2020 interstate contest.

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The NRL is also looking into an incentive scheme to potentially fund clubs commensurate to the amount of work they do in junior development and increasing participation numbers.

Australian Rugby League Commission boss Peter V’landys has highlighted the code’s worrying numbers of junior participants as a main focus of the next part of his chairmanship.

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