Australia players to take pay cut to play Tonga Test

Australia players are set to take a one-off pay cut in their $20,000 Test match fee so their end of season Test against Tonga can go ahead.

Officials have been working for months to try and make the Test happen at a range of different locations around the globe like the United States and New Zealand, but the $340,000 cost in match payments to the Kangaroos team is making it difficult to stage any games involving Australia.

NRL.com report that NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg will discuss a reduced payment with RLPA boss Ian Prendergest in the coming days and it is believed that the Australian players are prepared to consider a significant sacrifice to play the Test.

It is unclear whether any of the money the Australian players give up would be redirected to their Tonga counterparts, who played for nothing at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.

On the proposed Test between Australia and Tonga, Greenberg said: ‘I am very keen to see that game played at the end of the year.

“There has been a number of discussions over the last two months and I hope to give you some good news on that in the next week.”

New Zealand players receive $5,000 per Test, while England players receive a similar amount to the Kiwis.