CRONULLA'S star recruit Luke Lewis has backed Canberra forward Josh Papalii's decision to sign a rich deal with Parramatta, saying players are potentially ''one tackle away from flipping burgers''.
When at Penrith in 2008, Lewis reneged on a verbal agreement to join South Sydney, citing family reasons for signing a new four-year deal with the Panthers. It was the first year the NRL introduced its rule where a player wishing to join another club had up to round 13 to sign a contract.
The law is designed to give the incumbent a chance for retention, and the Raiders are hopeful they can use it to their advantage with Papalii.
But his case is different, given Papalii signed a contract with the Eels a fortnight ago.
''It's a very hard situation to be in. As a player what Papalii is doing I think you have to do,'' Lewis said. ''While you're playing good footy you want to sign a good contract at the time so you know what you're doing, where you're going and what you're future holds.
''It'll be forgotten after a while, everyone moves on and people will come in and do the job that he would do. It's just something you have to put up with for a while, it's very tough, but you've got your mates you play with and they'll stick by you.''
Lewis insisted the rule didn't need changing, despite it attracting heavy criticism from some quarters. The Raiders will begin talks with third-party sponsors on Monday in a last-ditch attempt to keep Papalii, who will be paid $500,000 a year at the Eels.
''I don't think so, everything the way it's set up is pretty good,'' Lewis said. ''As a player, you're only one tackle away from flipping burgers, and Papalii's playing really good footy at the moment.
''If you can sign a contract today that's going to secure you for three to four years, the security's there and you can start preparing for those years of your life.''
He had no doubt Papalli would show due commitment to the Raiders this season, despite knowing his future lies elsewhere.
''I don't know Papalii at all, but I do know he's a competitor and he won't let Canberra down for the time he's there,'' Lewis said.
''I know they'd be a very competitive bunch of blokes out there [Canberra], and they'd want to win everything, whether it's at training or in a game. Watching him play, I know he's definitely given 100 per cent all year and [will] do the right thing by [Raiders coach] David Furner.''
Five years ago, current Panthers back-rower Nathan Smith signed with Canberra, but also eventually opted to stay put.
Lewis said Papalii would have every intention on going out on a high, and rates the Raiders a serious dark horse for the premiership.
''I think Canberra are going to be hard to beat this year, in my opinion,'' he said. ''It's a tough one, they could go through and win the grand final and he has to leave at the end of the year.''
Despite the uncertainty over Papalii's contract, and the criticism of the system, the NRL says there are no imminent plans for a review.
''The system came in at the behest of the clubs,'' an NRL spokesman said. ''If there was enough of a groundswell within the clubs to look at it, if they felt strongly enough about it, we would look at it. Transfer windows and all the other ideas have been explored a number of times, even last year - it's one of those areas that's challenging.
''But this remains the system that we think is the most open and transparent. No one's got a completely closed line [to change], but we would need a strong reason to revisit it.''
One Canberra player who stands to benefit from Papalii's defection is halfback Sam Williams, who is off contract at the end of this season. Penrith and St George Illawarra expressed interest in Williams last year, and the Raiders are desperate to retain him. Should Papalii leave, money would be freed up to keep him.
