THE Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) says it will fight to ensure Parramatta players are not pushed out of the club against their will.

The Eels need to shed $570,000 from their 2016 total player payments to comply with the NRL’s salary cap.

The governing body has said the club cannot begin accruing competition points until they come into line with the cap for this season, meaning they effectively have to start culling players immediately if they plan on playing finals.

The impending retirement of veteran forward Anthony Watmough could count towards that, although it’s unknown how much of his estimated $750,000-a-year contract will be paid out under the cap.

Round 19

If Watmough’s retirement does cut more than $570,000 off their allowance the Eels won’t need to offload any more.

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg (right) and head of integrity Nick Weeks front the press. Source: AAP

But the suggestion Junior Paulo will head to Canberra early to alleviate pressure is being floated already.

RLPA general president Clint Newton says he will step in if Parramatta tries to terminate or alter contracts without the player’s total consent.

“No player should feel intimidated in a way that they feel like they have to move,” Newton said on Tuesday.

Former Parramatta star Eric Grothe Jnr joins Ben Ikin, Ben Glover and Nathan Ryan to discuss the Eels salary cap scandal and how they can fix their problems.

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“When you sign a contract, and we’ve gone through this process before, players shouldn’t be punished for a club’s mismanagement. I can’t say that strongly enough.

“These guys when they sign a contract expect it to be honoured, just like the club expects them to honour their deals.

“The people in those positions as game and club administrators, they need to act with the best integrity at heart and make sure they are following the rules.”

The RLPA was busy on Tuesday consulting with Parramatta players following the NRL’s penalty announcement.

The biggest impact on the players will be the 12 competition points being stripped off them, placing them on the bottom of the ladder with just 15 games to play in the season.

Mathematically the Eels can still qualify for finals but will need to win at least 12 of their remaining matches to do so.

It’s the fourth case in the past 15 years in which a team has been stripped of points as punishment for the club breaching salary cap.

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Newton says the RLPA wants to work with the NRL and other major stakeholders to ensure players aren’t punished for the wrongdoing of boards and administrators.

“It potentially poses an opportunity for us to be involved in working out whether this system that is currently being used is actually the best system, and we look forward to being a part of that discussion,” Newton said.

“But again I can’t say strongly enough that having this happen again to the playing group is extremely disappointing, and we are going to make sure, like we always have done, that the players’ wellbeing and their rights are protected throughout this process.

Eels players Michael Jennings and Tim Mannah emerge from meeting with NRL CEO Todd Greenberg. Source: News Corp Australia

“In the current climate, based on what’s happened today and what Parra has done, the system hasn’t worked for them.”

Newton paid credit to NRL chief executive officer Todd Greenberg and integrity manager Nick Weeks for fronting the Parramatta playing group on Tuesday morning.

“The fact that Todd and Nick put themselves in a position today to consult the players is a big step forward for the game and they need to be commended for that,” he said.

“That’s a tough job, to go in front of the playing group.”

The writer is on Twitter @SimonBrunsdon

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