NEWCASTLE are facing a rather unique salary cap problem.

And it’s one that most other NRL clubs would much rather have.

According to The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield, the Knights are too far under the cap, as opposed to being over it as some rivals have experienced in the past.

There are some players in limbo at the moment, including Mitchell Pearce, who the club could target in order to be cap compliant.

Round 19

Rothfield also revealed the Knights had thrown as much as $1.5 million over three seasons at controversial prop Matthew Lodge before he decided to sign with Brisbane on a modest salary.

“In the new collective bargaining agreement, clubs must spend 95 per cent of their cap. It’s a $9.4 million cap, so they have to spend a minimum $8.9 million,” Rothfield told NRL 360.

“You know what the Knights are spending at the moment? About $7 million.

“So they, before June 30 next year, legally have to find players.

“Obviously Mitchell Pearce would solve $1 million of it. They’re looking for centres as well.”

Rothfield said the Knights could front-load deals by prepaying players from their 2019 contracts allowing them to spend big later down the track.

“I’m not sure how they’re managing the $2 million which they’re facing at the moment,” he said.

“I guess I’d rather support a club that’s front-ending contracts than back-ending them.”

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RAIDERS RETENTION DRIVE

Canberra CEO Don Furner has revealed the club is set to ramp up negotiations to retain a quintet of stars in Josh Papalii, Junior Paulo, Aidan Sezer, Blake Austin and Luke Bateman.

The five players are off contract at the end of 2018.

“There’s a few that we want to start to sit down and talk to but some of those are still in (World Cup) camp and some aren’t back until January, and we’ve still got a year to go,” Furner told Fairfax Media.

“We’ll be working on those and hopefully get everybody re-signed up. Ricky only got back this week so we’ll start to chat to them now and see where it leads us.”

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart. Source: Getty Images

Furner also said the club were “getting there” with English hooker Josh Hodgson’s contract extension, while they were yet to hear from Joey Leilua or his management after the centre was linked with a move to Gold Coast due to salary cap pressure.

“We would have no idea if they’ve approached him or spoken to him. But he’s contracted here until 2020 so I’m not sure where that came from. Nothing to do with us,” Furner said.

‘WOMEN’S LEAGUE NOT FAR OFF’

Jillaroos star Ruan Sims believes a women’s competition, similar to the AFL’s, is right around the corner.

The Jillaroos are preparing to defend their World Cup crown when the women’s tournament kicks off on Thursday.

“I believe it’s not far away to be honest,” Sims told NRL 360.

“Ensuring that it will be sustainable once it does set up and moving, then we’ll be able to continue on our own volition and not have to rely on the men’s game to sustain us and keep us moving forward.

“I’d love to see it as a professional pathway for young girls to look at and say ‘I want to be a female rugby league player in Australia’.”

MENINGA’S GRAND ROOS PLAN

In the same vein as the NSW and Queensland emerging Origin camps, Mal Meninga hopes to implement an “Emerging Roos” system to help develop the nation’s rising stars.

Meninga has told NRL.com he envisages the development squad to act as an ‘Australia A’ team who could possible games against other countries, as soon as next year.

And the likes of Nathan Cleary, Jayden Brailey and Latrell Mitchell could all be among the first crop of players.

“The welfare of the players is obviously important so there’s only one Test match against New Zealand next year. But we can create some other events around an Emerging Roos program,” Meninga said.

“We’ve already got the Prime Minister’s XIII game against Papua New Guinea at the back end of the season, so my thought is we can use that as a bit of a trial for the Kiwis game, or we use it as an opportunity to blood new players in an emerging-type of contest.

“I wouldn’t mind playing a second game involving Australia A around the Pacific somewhere as well, maybe play it in New Zealand against an emerging team of their own or another island nation.”

PANTHERS SIGN FIVE

Penrith have announced a quintet of signings with Tyrone Phillips, Jayden Walker, Chad O’Donnell, Adam Keighran and Joey Peato all joining the club on one-year deals.

Phillips and Keighran both make the move from Canterbury, while Walker will commence pre-season training after his stint with Italy in the World Cup.

O’Donnell, a five-eighth or halfback, played with North Sydney this year, while Peato has been rewarded for a stellar season with the Campbelltown City Kangaroos who won the Group 6 competition.

MUNSTER FOR UTILITY?

Rugby league journalists Phil Rothfield and Andrew Webster both believe Cameron Munster has done enough during the World Cup to cement a stop in the Kangaroos’ top 17.

Munster is battling it out with James Maloney and Michael Morgan for the No.6 jersey, but he could find himself playing a different role in the business end of the tournament.

“I think Munster has to be the 14th man, if he’s not in the starting line-up,” Rothfield told NRL 360.

“(He can cover) fullback, centre and five-eighth.”

PONGA’S KNIGHTS ADMISSION

Newcastle signing Kalyn Ponga admitted he was originally “nervous” about the club’s prospects in snaring high profile recruits for the 2018 season.

Ponga signed with the Knights almost 12 months ago, and in that time the likes of Matt Scott, Jack Bird and Dale Finucane all knocked offers from the club.

“I’m not going to lie, I was nervous,” Ponga told NRL.com.

“But I knew my signing was early and was confident in who they would sign after [that].

“That was the tough thing, they wanted to get a big name early like a Jack Bird. If they got him a lot of players would have followed but in saying that they’ve done well.

“Connor (Watson) will be a good running half, Tau (Moga) in the centres is a familiar face for me, and a couple of experienced forwards.”

GRUB’S BENJI LESSONS

Josh Reynolds says he can’t wait to learn from veteran playmaker Benji Marshall.

The pair will join forces at the Wests Tigers in 2018.

“He’s done so much in the game,” Reynolds told Channel Nine.

“I love the way he plays the game too, he’s really smart footy-wise.

“I’m just going to pick his brain as much as I can.”