"Everyone is fed up. It's so erratic and selfish from the ARU. It is a disgrace and gravely irresponsible. They're inept. "No one from the ARU has addressed players. We'd appreciate that because the cards are in their hands and obviously they're in a difficult position but they're playing with our livelihoods. "If they came in and explained the situation, explained that they understand how hard it is, everyone would still be pissed off but it would be the honourable thing to do. They should front up and just say what's going on. You can't put a face to it at the moment." On when players started worrying they could be without a job next year "It's been so long I can't really remember when the chat started about us getting cut. At the start of pre-season it was thrown around and everyone was chatting and then it started to gain momentum. It didn't feel real until that ARU release saying it was either going to be the Force or Rebels.

"The press conference was playing on television and all of us in the room were gobsmacked. It was like the Melbourne Cup, everyone was gathered around the TV. They said 48 to 72 hours and we all thought, 'wow, that's very quick'. "I'm particularly close to one teammate and that's obviously all we're going to talk about. I didn't believe the ARU from the start. I wondered how they were going to do that in 48 to 72 hours? I thought they needed more time to make an educated decision. I knew they needed time but I didn't think they'd need as much as they have. I don't know if they're even going to cut a team." On how it has affected players and their futures "Everyone doesn't know whether to look elsewhere for other options. "The people I feel the most sorry for are the people who have turned down huge money overseas to stay. Guys who have played for the Wallabies I know have been offered enormous money. It's just ridiculous because you don't know what you're doing.

"From a rugby perspective, I'm happy to wait but the outside world doesn't wait for you. My lease is coming up in a few months but there are lads with kids and wives who have jobs and are doing it so tough." On whether players would want to play NRC "It would be fun from a player's perspective if our club got folded, because players would get on the piss and not take the NRC seriously. No one would care. "Players would definitely not want to play. Apparently those guys would have to stick around but what's the point? It's very hard. "They'd want to go elsewhere and make an impression and start a new chapter and dig in and make a name for themselves.

"Hypothetically, if you were going to move to the Super Rugby club that didn't get cut, you'd want to play for their NRC team. Not the one that doesn't have a future." On what the last few weeks has been like for all involved "You wake up and think: 'Is this going to be the day?' "I found it strange because player agents would hit me up more than normal. I've had three other Australian clubs contact me and say they're keen. Everyone is swarming for us." On the mood at training

"It's weird because at training you're trying to read into it all. If a coach isn't there one day, even though he might genuinely be sick, you start to wonder if he has quit. "Other staff members have been disappearing and it's so sad. You try and analyse everyone's body language in terms of coaches and administrators. We just want to know what's going on." On the communication channels at the club "They don't come in every day and say what's going on because they want you to focus on the footy. That's fair enough. But you hear rumours and whispers. "All the boys read the paper. If you go into a cafe, it's got a paper. Of course you're going to have a look.

"People are texting me asking what's going on. You literally don't know and they probably don't believe me but it's true." On the support for players "A staff member at the club came up to me and said: "If you need help let me know. A lot of the boys are struggling, just come and talk to me if you need to'." On whether there is a feeling players have signed overseas "The ARU are screwing themselves over because people are going to leave.

"There are guys who are running out on their contract and need some answers. If they wait until August to do this, people are going to be stuffed. They'll probably go overseas to wherever can take them and then the ARU loses the player who they would have wanted to keep. "Put yourself in the shoes of a senior player – say 29 or 30 – and you had kids and had mega offers from overseas and then you're trying to stay loyal at the same time. It's incredibly difficult. "Me and the guy I'm really close with have also been hit up by other agents saying they can get us deals overseas. I didn't think about it really. You want to go as far as you can in the game in Australia and then if you did want to go overseas you would want to be on top dollar. To do that you've got to make a name for yourself. "How would all this uncertainty not affect players? If you got offered two or three times more money overseas than what you're getting here and you don't even know if your club is going to be around, you'd have to go. Even if the club survived, it might be too late. And all of these guys have genuine Wallabies aspirations. It'd be so hard to ignore the offers because they don't know what's happening." On the contracting system for next year