NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg is open to discussing a trade window with players, but doesn’t believe the code’s athletes will support it.

What he’s not welcome to, though, is a season without a strict salary cap.

As next year’s figure remains unlikely to be finalised in the coming weeks, the NRL transfer market is ready to explode.

More than 35 past or present top-tier representative players remain unsigned, while this week’s speculation surrounding Cooper Cronk and the Wests Tigers’ so-called ‘big four’ has dominated headlines.

Round 19

It prompted veteran Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett to claim five-eighth Anthony Milford was distracted by contract talk, and implored the league to find a better system on Tuesday.

NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg. Source: AAP

But Greenberg believes players are happy with the current set up.

“If that’s a discussion that players would like to have with us we’re open to it but they enjoy free-trade at the moment and that’s a big part of their negotiation,” Greenberg said.

“We’ve tinkered with it over a period of time to try and put some transparency into this space, and it’s never going to be a perfect science.”

Greenberg is also at ease with the belief that clubs already know the approximate figure of next year’s salary cap.

The NRL is believed to have tabled an offer of $8.84 million to the Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA) last week — below the figure some clubs are believed to be working towards.

It has prompted fears of a fire sale of NRL stars as clubs dash to get under the salary cap, but Greenberg said each franchise’s management was well aware of the situation.

“I think clubs are pretty aware of where the numbers will finish — give or take,” he said.

The RLPA is expected to offer their response to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) after Easter, but board member James Maloney labelled it “underwhelming” on Monday.

The Cronulla five-eighth also stressed the difficulties that faced clubs and players without a set figure for next season.

But speaking at a launch for the Vinnies CEO sleep-out, which Greenberg will participate in at the SCG in June, the NRL boss insisted the matter wouldn’t be rushed with the RLPA.

“We have an expiry on the CBA which is at the end of October, so in a perfect world we would have it done sooner rather than later,” he said.

“But we’ve got to work through it methodically, and that’s both of us — the Players’ Association and us.

“Most of the fans will see it as only the salary cap and the payment of players but it’s much broader than that.”

Uncertainty over the figure has also led to suggestions a soft cap would be offered to club’s in 2018 if the figure was set too late.

But Greenberg insisted that wouldn’t be the case.

“You can be assured there will be a salary cap in 2018 and beyond,” he said.