The National Rugby League (NRL), which runs the NRLW, cancelled the 2021 season a week before it was due to start, leaving eight players trapped in the country as a result of its COVID-19 restrictions.

"These women have been stuck here for nine weeks - it's just a joke," said Southwell, who also plays for the Sydney Roosters, as reported by ABC.

"What I'm hearing from people I've spoken to about the New Zealand girls is that they're the sole providers for their families back home.

"They were depending on this money and they signed a contract entitled to that money.

"We all deserve to be paid for the work we've done, we've been training for the last month for this season."

The NRL held a meeting with players and said it will not pay the 30 per cent of their contracts, as requested by the RLPA, but will provide a "COVID relief package."

"In terms of player payment, we've been looking at that long before the RLPA request," said Andrew Abdo, chief executive of NRL, as reported by ABC.

"We're working on a COVID relief package for the players.

"We're in the process of formulating ultimately how that works … then we're going to communicate that.

"It would be a payment. It's not linked to contract values, this would be like a jobkeeper.

"It would be a standard payment for everyone."

The Women's Players Advisory Group (WPAG) has also called on the NRLW to make the repatriation of New Zealand players Karli Hansen, Ngatokotoru Arakua, Annetta Nu'uausala, Autumn-Rain Stephens-Daly, Charlotte Scanlan, Katelyn Vaha'akolo, Maitua Feterika and Kararaina Wira-Kohu its priority.