. It's the half-million dollar hangover that will continue to haunt the Parramatta Eels next season.
In a development that could cruel Parramatta's chances of bringing Jarryd Hayne back to the club, Fairfax Media can reveal the fallout from the NRL's salary cap investigation isn't over, with $500,000 worth of third-party agreements guaranteed by the club for 2017 to be included in next year's salary cap.
The salary cap will rise from $6.8 million to $7.1 million next season, however the club's indiscretions over the past few years means the Eels will only have $6.6 million at their disposal in 2017.
More concerns: Parramatta's salary cap problems appear for from over.
More concerns: Parramatta's salary cap problems appear for from over.Photo: Getty Images
The Eels had $770,000 worth of third-party agreements for the past three years added to the salary cap for this season, which required the club to shed Nathan Peats, Ryan Morgan and retire Anthony Watmough before it was allowed to begin competing for points lat Friday.
On top of the $500,000 next year and the $770,000 for the past three years, it is also understood the club will have another $150,000 worth of TPA's included in the salary cap in 2018.
Fairfax Media understands third-party arrangements with Kieran Foran, Michael Jennings, Semi Radradra, Beau Scott and Watmough will all be included in next year's salary cap, casting huge doubt over the club's ability to afford Hayne at the expected going rate of $1.2 million a season.
If Corey Norman is successful in negotiating the $850,000-a-season deal he is asking for, it is estimated the club will have close to $3.6 million tied up in five players (Foran, Jennings, Scott, Radradra and Norman), leaving just $3 million to spend on the remaining 20 players in the top 25 squad.
Manu Ma'u, Tim Mannah, Tepai Moeroa and Brad Takarangi are among the other high-profile players tied to the club for next season on a total value of about $1 million.
But easing their cap woes is the departure of Peats to the Titans last week, the immediate retirement of Watmough and the defection of Junior Paulo to Canberra next year.
The club also has $600,000 to spend on a marquee player allowance, the majority of which has been allocated to accommodate Foran's multi-million dollar deal.
While Hayne has previously indicated he would like to play for Parramatta if he decided to return to the NRL, the Eels' first priority remains retaining Norman.
The Queenslander is off contract at the end of this season and had agreed to hold off testing his value on the open market out of respect for Parramatta's salary cap woes.
The Eels and his manager Paul Sutton are in the process of of trying to land a deal, however Parramatta's offer of $2.1 million over three seasons is well short of the $2.5 million Norman is hopeful of securing.
Norman will be unlikely to attract third-party arrangements with the dark cloud over the club, the Eels will have to fit the bulk of his contract in the salary cap for next season.
ON CONTRACT
Kieran Foran (2019)
Michael Jennings (2019)
Manu Ma'u (2017)
Tim Mannah (2017)
Semi Radradra (2018)
Beau Scott (2018)
Brad Takarangi (2017)
Kaysa Pritchard (2018)
Peni Terepo (2017)
David Gower (2017)
Clinton Gutherson (2017)
Daniel Alvaro (2018)
Kenny Edwards (2017)
John Folau (2017)
Bevan French (2018)
OFF CONTRACT
Michael Gordon
Danny Wicks
Anthony Watmough (retired)
Isaac De Gois
Vai Toutai
Junior Paulo (Canberra)
Nathan Peats (Titans)
Corey Norman
Cameron King
Luke Kelly
James Hasson
Mitch Cornish
Love you Ash.
