NEWCASTLE Jets management will meet with the club's senior players on Tuesday in a bid to broker a pay deal for the new A-League season.
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A-League players voted last week to reject a proposed pay cut of up to 30 per cent for the 2020-21 campaign as part of a collective bargaining agreement process with Professional Footballers Australian (PFA).
Talks between the players union (PFA), Football Federation Australia and Australian Professional Football Clubs Association, which represents the club owners, have reached an impasse and all but halted.
Clubs are now dealing directly with the players.
Jets chief executive Lawrie McKinna, football operations manager Joel Griffiths and coach Carl Robinson addressed the players on Thursday. The players, whom are on holidays, have since held two Zoom conferences.
The leadership group of Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Jason Hoffman, Roy O'Donovan and Nigel Boogaard, who is yet to be re-signed, will talk again with management on Tuesday.
Perth Glory owner Tony Sage has threatened to stand players down if they did not agree to a 30 per cent wage cut.
McKinna hopes to avoid the same course of action.
"We spoke to all the boys last Thursday," McKinna said. "The talks were very respectful. We just want to get it sorted for our club, get back to training and focus on next season."
A-League clubs lost up to 65 per cent of their revenue last season due to COVID-19 and face further hardship after the broadcast deal with Fox Sports for 2021 was cut by $30 million.
The salary cap is expected to be reduced from $3.2m to $2.1m. However, unlike past seasons, the annual grant from FFA won't cover the salary cap.
The players took a hit financially, with some forfeiting up to 70 per cent of their wages for the final two months, to complete the season after the COVID break.
They are prepared for another hit, but it's the size of the reduction which is the sticking point.
The 2021 season has been slated to start in January and the Jets are likely to assemble for pre-season in late October.
Meanwhile, former Jets midfielder Wes Hoolahan turned back the clock to lead Cambridge United to 5-0 romp over Morecambe in League Two in England on Sunday.
The 38-year-old former Republic of Ireland international, whose time at the Jets was hindered by a serious ankle injury, scored a goal and played a hand in two others.
Making just his third appearance for Cambridge, the playmaker blasted the visitors in front from the edge of the area in the 29th minute to open his goal-scoring account.
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