"A past financial incentive to play for Australia has also diminished. Less than a decade ago, the Kangaroos match fee was $20,000; it is now $3000, just 10 per cent of an Origin match payment, which top Pasifika players who are eligible for NSW and Queensland can still get.
Nine Newspapers reported that these Kangaroos players would get $13,000 for the Ashes tour; several weeks in England and three Tests. Yes: they used to get more for a single Test than they will for this entire tour, off the back of a gruelling NRL season."
I guess playing for Aus just isn't worth much these days...or the tournaments themselves might not generate fuck all income, so not much to share.
Either way, ain't no-one doing this for the money. Matto makes more $$$ watching a cup game
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Most athletes who compete in the Olympics for Australia would do so at a loss (when they factor in all of their training and sport costs).
If they don't want to play for Australia, then don't. Someone else will...
The reality is that these international games are really only an advertising vehicle for the sport as a whole - which would bring more eyes and dollars into the NRL, which would boost players paypackets.
I have zero issue with this model. It ain't like any of the players in the Aus team are in financial trouble.
League is too a brutal sport to play for free. It's one of the few sports the next game might be your last.
I agree that they should be well compensated. I also like the fact many of the islanders are chosing their home country instead of a kangaroos jersey. I want the Tonga's and Samoa's , Fiji's to give Australia, NZ and Great Britain a tough game.
They don't play it for free. They're paid 10s of thousands of dollars a week. We are talking about them playing a handful of games for no extra money. They get to see the world for free whilst playing them , usually.
Many don't seem to mind playing in the Koori knockouts for no extra renumeration. You don't think that players could sacrifice less than the equivalent of their weeks salary ( which they'd still receive from their clubs) to donate it to their junior clubs , in which volunteers make their whole careers possible ?
let's say you earn $1000 a week. If you were still going to get that $1000 and you would get an extra $700 to go to France fully paid for , and someone sai d " PFOTH we've decided to donate your $700 to the club you played footy for as a junior on your behalf to help them get a whole bunch of new equipment " , would you say nah, I'll stay home thanks , fuck going to France " .
Unless you're Matto of course .
No. I'm all for money going to junior clubs and grass roots but I don't know if it's actually worth playing for international league when in those 2-3 games you could end up suffering a serious injury.
Back in our day when players had proper jobs, a Kangaroo tour was sweet because you had the chance to see the world, showcase your skills to the UK (potentially picking up an off-season contract like many of our players did back in the 80's, be paid a fee and have free food and board. These days though with the contracts and sponsorship deals players have this doesnt seem worth their while and if they have a niggling injury they'll rather skip it all together. I reme players in the 80's under and injury cloud tried to make the tour even on one leg.
If a player represents Australia the money earnt through increased salary clauses in their club contract along with TPA/sponsorships/endorsements and end of career opportunities should far outweigh anything they earn for a handful of games a year.
For some, yeah
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