The Rugby League Players Association has released its Annual Player Survey & Findings Report for 2025 and, as always, the results make for very interesting reading.
Amongst several eye-opening findings—based on the responses of 552 male and 301 female players—the report casts serious doubts over the role being played by many of the game’s player agents.
According to results published in the Sydney Morning Herald, 96 per cent of NRL and NRLW players confirmed they have an agent acting on their behalf.
However more than 50 per cent of those players reported their agent has never negotiated a sponsorship deal for them, large or small, despite earning many thousands of dollars from their club deals—a situation the RLPA says isn’t good enough.
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“Agents collectively receive over $15 million per year in fees from players – more than the salary cap of any single NRL club,” RLPA boss Clint Newton said of the findings.
“In a salary-capped league where player earnings are limited, the commercial and sponsorship endorsements must significantly improve.
“Based on these results there are not enough agents focused on growing player brands through sponsorship agreements, but instead taking easy money from NRL and NRLW contracts.”
According to the RLPA and Newton, the game’s agents have a responsibility to bring a more holistic approach to the way they serve their players, particularly when it comes to generating additional revenue opportunities from a player’s personal brand, or intellectual property.
“Many fans would assume all players are topping up their salaries with endorsements, but that is not the case,” Newton revealed.
“Most players are either trying to do it themselves or not doing it at all.”
The RLPA survey also found the bulk of NRLW players continue to rely on external income to support their playing careers—89 per cent reported working during the off-season while 87 per cent also conducted work or study during the season itself.