Immortal great Andrew Johns has fired a rocket at the conduct of NRL player managers following the bombshell that revealed Canberra Raiders star John Bateman was seeking an upgraded deal.

News broke just days out from Sunday's grand final that Bateman had signed on with player manager Isaac Moses and was suddenly in search of a new deal in the nation's capital after arriving at the start of this year.

According to NRL.com, was seeking a significant upgrade on his current deal, believed to be around $450,000 a season, and would be willing to explore options outside the Raiders.

“I’ve got a new agent over here, I’m with Isaac Moses," the English international told NRL.com.

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"While I'm over here mate, I have to do what's best for me and best for my family.

"Moving forward I'll just have to weigh up my options and see what's there."

It was poor timing from Bateman, with his side preparing for their first grand final berth in 25 years, when they face the highly-fancied Roosters at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.

And the issue attracted a scathing assessment from Knights great Johns on Wide World of Sports' Immortal Behaviour.

"We've seen it all year, the player signs the contract and is happy to sign the contract for three years, or four years, and then six months down the track they're playing well," John said.

"Whether they go to the manager or the manager goes to them and goes 'kick stones at training and we'll get you out, we'll get you double somewhere else.'

"The timing of this stinks and the players have to understand, they employ the player managers, the player managers don't employ them.

"If you don't agree with what they say, hang up on them and tell them to beat it.

"This stinks. This stinks so bad."

With the power of player managers becoming increasingly disruptive, the two-time premiership winner demanded the NRL step in.

"I reckon Ricky Stuart will have something to say (after the grand final).

"Until the people at the top of the NRL or the club CEOs get together, they've got to knock this behaviour off, because it's rotten."

Johns is the latest name to call out the issue, with NRL 360 co-host Paul Kent saying enough is enough and demanding the NRL take control.

Meanwhile, former Panthers supremo Phil Gould believes Bateman is worthy of a pay rise, and avoided blaming the Englishman for raising the issue in the build-up to his side's grand final.

“I don’t know how public he intended this all to be,” Gould said on Channel 9’s Six Tackles With Gus podcast.

“I don’t know if it’s just one of those little stories that leaks out because all the attention is on one game and one group of players.

“… In the professional era I suppose he’s a professional footballer and he said, ‘Yeah, I’m going to ask for a pay rise’.

“And with the season he’s had he’s probably deserved a pay rise, but that’s something that’ll be sorted out and I don’t think it’ll be on his mind this week leading into the game.