Player Power in Rugby League's Billion-Dollar Era | Clint Newton

**Exclusive: Rugby League Players Association CEO Clint Newton joins Moneyball to discuss player power, the NRL’s new $5 billion TV rights deal and who gets to shape rugby league’s billion-dollar future.** This episode was recorded recently, but before the NRL announced the full details of its new TV deal with Nine Entertainment, DAZN and Sky Sport New Zealand. Clint Newton joins Scott Keenan for a wide-ranging conversation about what the NRL’s next era means for players, clubs and the future shape of the competition. They unpack how the NRL’s Total Player Payments Pool works, why the players’ share of distributable revenue is about much more than salaries, and where the game should invest as revenues rise — including player wellbeing, insurance, education, career transition and support after football. With the Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs joining the competition, Clint also discusses the challenges of NRL expansion, why Perth should receive additional support without compromising the salary cap, and what a future 20-team NRL competition could look like. The conversation also explores player IP, sponsorship restrictions and the commercial opportunities available to modern athletes. Clint argues that rugby league could grow significantly if clubs and the NRL gave players more freedom to build their profiles, brands and businesses. He also reflects on player influence, his relationship with ARLC chairman Peter V’landys, the importance of trust and respect in negotiations, and why the RLPA wants players to be treated as well when they leave the game as they are when they enter it. This is a conversation about NRL players, player power, the RLPA, the salary cap, the NRL media rights deal, Perth Bears recruitment, PNG expansion, player welfare, commercial freedom and who gets to shape rugby league’s future. **Moneyball – The Business of Sport** goes behind the deals, decisions and dynamics shaping the games we love, for sports insiders and fans who want to understand what is really going on. 🎙️ Guest: Clint Newton, CEO of the Rugby League Players Association 🎙️ Host: Scott Keenan 📩 Contact: [askmoneyball.show@gmail.com](mailto:askmoneyball.show@gmail.com) 📸 Instagram: @moneyball\_show