Chad Townsend says it would be a "disaster" if NRL teams have to offload contracted players because of salary cap uncertainty. Photo / Getty Images.
Cronulla halfback Chad Townsend reckons it would be a "disaster" if NRL teams have to offload contracted players because of salary cap uncertainty.
NRL club bosses are due to meet on Thursday to discuss next year's cap figure, which still has not yet been set - a situation Townsend believes
is totally unfair to players.
Clubs were informed in April the cap would be around $9.2 million and most have budgeted accordingly.
However, some are pushing for extra discretionary funds, which would see the cap effectively rise to $9.6 million. A stalemate is likely given a several clubs don't want it to be lifted four months after the initial figure was set.
That could lead to a situation where contracts are torn up and players are left in no-man's-land as teams like Canterbury scramble to fit under the cap.
Wests Tigers skipper Aaron Woods is one such example, with the Bulldogs-bound forward telling NRL 360 he had no back-up plan if the Bulldogs couldn't make room for him in 2018 after spending big on a recent signing spree.
Townsend said urgent clarity was needed.
"Clubs are hearing they're not sure about salary cap for next season which, in my opinion, is a disaster," Townsend told reporters on Wednesday.
"If teams have to shed players and players don't know where they're going to play, but they've got a contract, I don't think that's a very good working environment.
"You don't want that to happen to anyone who's got a contract that could be up in limbo.
"The length (of time) it's taken has been a bit frustrating for players across the board but hopefully they can sort it sooner rather than later."
NRL chief Todd Greenberg faces a difficult task on Thursday in convincing enough teams to agree to a collective bargaining agreement and salary cap offer, which will then be taken to the Rugby League Players' Association.
The RLPA, meanwhile, is planning a meeting of more than 300 players in Sydney on Monday to keep them in the loop on negotiations.
"It's going to be huge, just to see exactly where the RLPA's at and for us to get educated about what's going on and where we're up to and if there's any decisions that need to be made," Townsend said.
