From grand final to building site as NRL players go back to work

SYDNEY - Six months ago they were playing one of the biggest games of their careers, but now stars of Australia's National Rugby League are working as builders and plumbers after the coronavirus shutdown forced them to find new jobs.

Several members of the Sydney Roosters, who won the grand final against the Canberra Raiders in October, are among the players back "on the tools" as they try to pay bills and mortgages after the season was suspended.

Players from the NRL, one of Australia's most popular sports, are facing hefty pay cuts this year after the pandemic shuttered sport worldwide and left the league battling for survival.

"Some of them are looking for jobs... some of them are on the tools already," Roosters coach Trent Robinson told radio station Triple M.

"Plumber, builder. There's lots of jobs that have been thrown out there for the guys, and they're still continuing to look.

"They know they're going to have some time. They know they've got to train, but after that they're looking to get back into some of their old trades."

It's a similar story for players across the 16-team NRL, which came to a screeching halt after two rounds -- one played behind closed doors -- last month.

The NRL, cash-strapped despite its immense popularity and ubiquitous media presence, strongly resisted closure before anti-virus measures made it impossible to play on.

On Thursday, the NRL and the players' association agreed on an emergency deal under which players will lose five months' pay this year if the 2020 season is abandoned.

AFP