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While the future of the NRL season may be in doubt, another major rugby league competition has already been cancelled and the decision could see rising stars at risk of being lost to the game.

On Friday the New South Wales Rugby League made the difficult decision to cancel nine of its major competitions for 2020, including the Canterbury Cup NSW.

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Round 20

It means that just 17 players from each of the NRL’s 16 clubs will be given game time for the rest of the year, provided the first-grade competition goes ahead.

For those off-contract and on the fringes of the NRL, teetering between reserve grade and the big league, it means training runs may be their only chance to press their claims for another deal.

Parramatta Eels utility Ray Stone is one of them.

He is without a contract past 2020 but had a massive opportunity to prove himself in the coming weeks when starting hooker Reed Mahoney went down with a foot injury.

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But just as the chance had opened up the halt to the season proper saw his hopes dashed.

Initially expected to be out for the season, Mahoney says he anticipates he will be ready to play in around eight weeks – far earlier than when the competition is predicted to be a chance of returning.

He is not the only one though, as Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur reveals.

“A bloke like Peni Terepo is blue and gold through and through and is future’s uncertain,” he told Fox League Live.

“Brad Takairangi’s been here for six years and his future’s uncertain.

“We’ve got an obligation to those blokes and we’ve talked about that and that needs to be our motivation.

“Some of those guys have been with me personally for six or seven years. We’ve had some tough times and we’ve had some good times and I’d really like them to enjoy and have a good year this year but it’s not to be.

“We’ve got a lot of young blokes that are looking to stake their claim and have trained really hard in the pre-season.”

Another player who has been directly affected by the news the NSWRL has cancelled the Canterbury Cup is St George Illawarra young gun Tristan Sailor.

Sailor, who is off-contract at the end of the season, is one of many players who use the state competition to fine tune their skills in the hope of getting an NRL call-up.

With the Canterbury Cup scrapped for the remainder of the year, Sailor won’t be playing unless he gets a first-grade start which limits his chances to impress.

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“Hopefully we can resume and we can train well for the first-grade team and hopefully I can get into that 17,” Sailor told Fox League Live.

“If not, it’ll just be a focus on my manager talking with the Dragons or other clubs to try and get something for next year.

“It’ll all depend on how the game goes financially and how many teams are still in the comp, I guess.”

PLAYERS OFF CONTRACT AT END OF 2020

PO = player option, MO = mutual option, CO = club option

BRONCOS

Jack Bird (PO 21), Darius Boyd (MO 21), Herbie Farnworth, David Fifita, Jamil Hopoate, Jordan Kahu, Richie Kennar, Rhys Kennedy, Andrew McCullough (PO 21), Anthony Milford (PO 21), Sean O’Sullivan, Izaia Perese, Ilikena Vudogo

RAIDERS

Luke Bateman, JJ Collins, Nick Cotric, Matt Frawley, Siliva Havili (PO 21), Sebastian Kris, Jack Murchie, Michael Oldfield, Sia Soliola, Tom Starling

BULLDOGS

Jack Cogger, Adam Elliott, Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Kieran Foran, Morgan Harper, Kerrod Holland, Marcelo Montoya, Sauaso Sue, Isaiah Tass, Aiden Tolman, Brandon Wakeham

SHARKS

Jayson Bukuya, Mawene Hiroti, Royce Hunt, Sione Katoa, William Kennedy, Cameron King , Kayleb Milne, Toby Rudolf, Scott Sorensen, Cruz Topai-Aveai, Brayden Trindall

TITANS

Dale Copley, Anthony Don, Keegan Hipgrave, Ryan James, Sam Lisone, Nathan Peats, Kevin Proctor, Tyrone Roberts, Treymain Spry (CO 21), Sam Stone

SEA EAGLES

Cade Cust, Brendan Elliott, Albert Hopoate, Danny Levi, Luke Metcalf, Samuel Smith, Moses Suli, Corey Waddell, Tony Williams

STORM

Jesse Bromwich (MO 21, 22), Sandor Earl, Thomas Eisenhuth, Nicho Hynes, Ryley Jacks, Cooper Johns, Max King, Brenko Lee, Isaac Lumelume, Justin Olam, Aaron Pene, Darryn Schonig, Marion Seve, Cameron Smith, Christian Welch, Albert Vete (CO 21)

KNIGHTS

Herman Ese’ese, Aidan Guerra, Brodie Jones, Josh King, Mason Lino, Tautau Moga, Tyronne Roberts-Davis, Jacob Saifiti, Connor Watson

COWBOYS

John Asiata, Gavin Cooper, Reuben Cotter, Mitchell Dunn, Kyle Feldt, Ben Hampton (PO 21), Corey Jensen (PO 21), Jordan McLean (PO 21, 22), Francis Molo, Tom Opacic, Emry Pere, Daniel Russell, Tukimihia Simpkins, Shane Wright

EELS

Nathan Brown (PO 21), Andrew Davey, Ryse Davies, Haze Dunster, Kane Evans, David Gower, George Jennings, Reed Mahoney, Ethan Parry, Jaeman Salmon, Will Smith, Ray Stone, Brad Takairangi, Peni Terepo

PANTHERS

Caleb Aekins, Dean Blore, Shawn Blore, Jed Cartwright, Stephen Crichton, Kaide Ellis, Tyrone May, Brayden McGrady, James Tamou, Brian To’o, Malakai Watene-Zelezniak

DRAGONS

Euan Aitken, Billy Brittain, Adam Clune, Jack de Belin, Jackson Ford, James Graham, Jacob Host, Josh Kerr (PO 21), Tim Lafai, Joe Lovodua, Issac Luke, Mikaele Ravalawa, Tristan Sailor

RABBITOHS

Tom Amone, Cory Denniss, Kurt Dillon, Bryson Goodwin, Alex Johnston, Patrick Mago, Steven Marsters, Ky Rodwell, Bayley Sironen, Jaydn Su’A (PO 21)

ROOSTERS

Mitchell Aubusson, Jake Friend, Ryan Hall (MO 21), Drew Hutchison, Matt Ikuvalu, Asu Kepaoa, Lachlan Lam, Brett Morris, Josh Morris

WARRIORS

Gerard Beale, Adam Blair (PO 21), Lachlan Burr, Jackson Frei, Blake Green, Peta Hiku, Patrick Herbert, Adam Keighran, Taane Milne, Isaiah Papali’i, Leivaha Pulu, Nathaniel Roache

TIGERS

Oliver Clark, Matt Eisenhuth, Robert Jennings, Chris Lawrence, Benji Marshall, Sam McIntyre, Chris McQueen, Alex Seyfarth, Dylan Smith, Elijah Taylor