The NRL's top officials are set for a major boost to their annual salary after the referees union reached an agreement with the league, avoiding a potential strike.
Referees will see a significant increase in salary over the next four years as a result of the agreement, with NRL.com reporting salaries are set to rise by 30 per cent by 2022, with the top referees earning more than $300,000 each year. In 2018 the top officials earned around $180,000, NRL.com reports.
NRL head of elite football Graham Annesley told NRL.com the pay rise puts rugby league referees on a salary par with officials across any Australian sport.
"It's important that we acknowledge just what a critical role our match officials play in the Telstra Premiership week-in and week-out.
"We know that it's a much-maligned job and brings with it lots of criticism.