The contract the player signs is not restricted by a single salary cap. So they player can sign a multi-year contract with each year of the contract corresponding to the various caps the club expects the player to fall under in each successive year.
This is why the 'academy' four re-signed last year until age 21 (post-NYC eligibility) despite not playing any grade higher than NYC last year.
Not sure this is correct.
Those players are listed amongst our 'top 25 + $350k non-top-25-but-first-grade-eligible' players.
Which suggests that their contracts have nothing to do with NYC salary cap amount. They are either top 25 blokes, or getting some of the 'next bunch' money.
As long as they are of age, they can play NYC (regardless where their pay comes from). But their contract must be NRL lodged and count against a particular cap. Sure, this could be whichever cap the club chooses (from year to year), however when you're "on the fringes" like these blokes, the amount you get paid most likely determines which cap you're part of.
Certainly this season they're in that top grade +excess cap.
I imagine the other blokes signed "NYC" $$ contracts, ($250k amongst the players), which they are ineligible for when turning 21. The club could have an option to extend and increase the amount? If not, they'd still probably require a pay rise when they "graduate" from NYC. ($250k amongst 15-20 blokes doesn't go very far!)
