The NRL and RLPA are on the cusp of striking a deal that will finally see a salary cap figure put in place for next season and trigger a series of signings.
The figure should be finalised this week which will see “a pre-Christmas rush” of player signings, according to The Daily Telegraphs’s Phil Rothfield.
“Last Friday at NRL headquarters Clint Newton and the RLPA, three clubs and the NRL executives got together and made considerable progress,” he said.
Round 1
MORE NRL NEWS ‘ALL BUT DONE’: Cook reveals new Souths deal after club rejects three-year extension TRANSFER CENTRE: Bulldogs sign banished NRL star after doping ban GOAT DEBATE: How Nathan Cleary compares to the best halfbacks of all time INVESTIGATION: Radley’s nervous wait as NRL seeks update on WC incident “From the people I spoke to inside that meeting I’m very hopeful it will be solved this week.” Rothfield expects it to see several signings at clubs in the coming weeks, including Souths trio Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker and Damien Cook all extending. World Cup stars Matt Burton (Bulldogs) and Brian To’o (Panthers) have been held up signing their lucrative extensions due to the prolonged cap negotiations. Meanwhile, Rothfield is tipping Eels forward Nathan Brown to join the Wests Tigers and Sea Eagles veteran Marty Taupau could also be on the move. “Burton at the Canterbury Bulldogs, Gus (Phil Gould) and Cameron Ciraldo have offered him a significant pay rise and a long-term deal,” Rothfield said on Big Sports Breakfast. “But they can’t actually sign him or do a deal because they don’t know what the salary cap is so that’s why this week is so important. Radley should be allowed to play for NSW | 00:58 “Nathan Brown at the Parramatta Eels, I think if the cap goes up to what it’s supposed to what they’re hoping then Nathan Brown will sign at the Wests Tigers. I wrote last week he met Tim Sheens at a coffee shop. “Also players like Marty Taupau at Manly, he isn’t getting paid right now and doesn’t have a club. “But for example if Nathan Brown goes to the Wests Tigers that will trigger an opportunity for a Marty Taupau type player, same with Newcastle – he’s also talking to them. “Brian To’o will sign at Penrith, so it’s a really, really important week for the game. This has been going on 12 months these negotiations. “Very slow off the mark but I’m hopefully these boys will all get their futures settled.
