Rugby League: RFL confirms it is discussing central contracts with top Super League players

The Rugby Football League has confirmed it is in discussions with a number of leading Super League players about becoming centrally contracted with the sport’s governing body.

Leading members of the RFL’s hierarchy, including the former Leeds and England captain, Kevin Sinfield, have identified a number of players to become the first in the sport to be awarded central contracts, after St Helens confirmed on Monday that their full-back, Jonny Lomax, would be among those to benefit from the deals created as part of the radical proposals approved this year to try to retain the competition’s best talent.

St Helens announced a new two-year contract for Lomax as well as the news of his central contract, with RFL sources telling the Guardian it will reveal the full details of the process and length of contracts only when it is ready to announce the deals.

The Guardian revealed in February that the RFL was introducing so-called “ambassadorial contracts”, which essentially meant a wage top-up for top players from the sport’s governing body in return for promotional and marketing work several days a year. And it is understood players such as the England internationals George Williams, Mike McMeeken and Kallum Watkins are all in talks to follow in Lomax’s footsteps, as is the uncapped Warrington forward, Ben Currie.

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An RFL spokesperson told the Guardian: “The Rugby Football League stated at the beginning of the year that retaining the best talent in the Super League was a priority and it has introduced a range of measures to help do this including an increase to the salary cap and changes to the marquee player rule.

“The Rugby Football League is in discussions with some players about becoming centrally contracted with the organisation and these discussions continue. Any centrally contracted player must be eligible for England selection and would take part in a number of additional commercial and marketing activities to help promote the sport.

“The panel for selection of the players will consist of members of the senior executive of the Rugby Football League and will also include the rugby director, Kevin Sinfield, with input from the England Rugby League coaching team.

“Full details of this process, the criteria for selection and those players who are centrally contracted will be announced in due course.”