Players stand to receive a 52 per cent pay rise across the five years of the CBA, with the NRL ready to hand them 29.5 per cent of guaranteed projected revenue and a 25 per cent share of the game's upside should revenue exceed forecasts. The deal would leave the average NRL player earning $330,000. Like the AFL's agreement with its players, there are exclusions on certain non-broadcast revenue streams including digital costs, contra, government grants and leagues club funding. Clubs emerged on Thursday with a demonstration of unity around the salary cap despite nine of them having in the lead-up opposed a rise beyond the $9.2m and others such as Canterbury having wanted it to go as high as $9.6m. The message from them was that $9.4m – which includes a $200,000 discretionary spend on long-serving and development players – was as much as the game could afford and it was a deal too good for players to refuse.

"It's a good time to be a player," Parramatta chairman Max Donnelly said. Wests Tigers chair Marina Go, who was among those arguing against any increase from $9.2m over concerns about it being unsustainable, said it was a compromise in the best interests of the code. "I think it's a good deal for the players. The clubs will be fine. We'll make it work," Go said. "It was a tough negotiation for us but I think it's a good outcome for the sport, best of all for the players. Honestly, it's such a good deal they have to accept it really. They should accept it." If the RLPA is not satisfied with the offer they could press ahead with industrial action including boycotting events during the finals series including the Dally M awards. As many as 300 players are expected to attend a meeting called by the players' union on Monday. NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg will present their offer, backed by the clubs, to the RLPA negotiating team including CEO Ian Prendergast and general counsel Tim Lythe on Thursday.

"I think it's the best deal the players are going to get," South Sydney chief Blake Solly said. "It is the best and final offer and it will be for the RLPA to decide what they want to do next if they don't accept it. I've been fortunate enough to sit in in the lock-ins with the players and the players' association and Ian and Tim are certainly very sensible. I think they should take a good, hard look at this offer and accept it." Melbourne Storm chairman Bart Campbell added: "It's an incredible pay offer for the players. They should be delighted." Club chairmen had met at the SCG on Thursday morning in what was effectively a "straw poll" of their contrasting positions on the 2018 cap but were convinced by Greenberg to agree on a number. "This is an important step but we are still in negotiations with the RLPA," Greenberg said.

Loading "Getting the clubs to agree on a package is very important for the game and especially the players. The clubs are all in different positions in relation to the salary cap next year which makes it even more significant that they united today to agree on a figure." The NRL has given itself until the end of the month to secure a $50 million bank loan to help finance club grants of $12.5m for next season and if unsuccessful will turn to other measures to source the money including cost cutting or bringing forward deals with commercial partners.