The cost of an insurance policy being considered by NRL players will be $1 million a season but does not include a payment if they are forced to retire because of a pre-existing injury.
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While there has been widespread criticism of the game for not having insurance in place for players suffering severe or permanent injury, such as Alex McKinnon or Simon Dwyer, a number of players have expressed concern that they may still not be covered under the policy forwarded to Rugby League Players Association members to vote on last Friday. Fairfax Media has seen a copy of the policy, which will cost $335 for players earning $80,000 a season and $1340 for those earning $350,000 or more.
The total cost of the policy is $1 million, which will be split between players, their clubs and the NRL.
Had McKinnon been covered by the policy when he suffered the "devastating" spinal injury that has him confined to a wheelchair, the 22-year-old may have been entitled to a payout of up to $500,000 – the maximum payout for incidents of "accidental death", "permanent quadriplegia", "permanent paraplegia","permanent total loss of use of limb" and "permanent total loss of sight".
Fund-raising for McKinnon during last weekend's Rise For Alex round of matches raised more than $1.2 million for the promising Newcastle forward. Wests Tigers have pledged $5 from every ticket sold for their match against Melbourne at Campbelltown Stadium on August 4 to a fund for Dwyer, who does not have full use of his right arm after tearing five nerves from his spinal column in a match three years ago.
Other players, such as North Queensland Test back Brent Tate, would not be covered by the policy as he is considering retirement after a fourth knee reconstruction – two on each knee.
Under the terms of the policy, any player forced to retire because of a pre-exising injury is not entitled to compensation unless they first suffer the injury in the same season. A pre-existing injury is defined as "a condition which you have sought advice, management or treatment [for]" and "which resulted in you being restricted in any way from taking part in or completing normal training for seven consecutive days, or an NRL match or a preseason trial at any time in the twelve month period prior to the date of injury".
The RLPA said the policy needed the approval of all players before being implemented but a number have indicated they will vote against it.
