Given the Sharks must replace any player moved on with another squad member on at least the $72,500 minimum wage, the club must technically shift at least $425,000 if they release one player.
To move on two of their lesser earners before round one would inflate that figure again beyond $500,000 given another replacement player would need to be added to Cronulla's books.
Such a scenario points to a mid-tier player such as Chad Townsend, off-season recruit Josh Morris, Matt Prior or Jayden Brailey being in the firing line if the Sharks are to come under their revised cap by shifting only one squad member.
Rival teams are likely to influence who Cronulla move given the limited two-week timeframe. Russell declined to comment when contacted by NRL.com.
While the Sharks are reluctant to release title-winning half Townsend, who is contracted for both 2019 and 2020, both the Warriors and Eels have cap space to accommodate him and are in need of a top-level playmaker.
The Dragons are another outfit that may enter the fray if their own application for salary cap relief from Jack de Belin's suspension is approved, with prop Ava Seumanafagai one off-contract Shark that has been mentioned in-house as a potential replacement option.
The injured front-rower is also weighing up an approach from an English Super League outfit.
However offloading a lower-tier player like Seumanafagai could mean a second player would also be forced out of the club to meet their reduced salary cap, in turn inflating that cost with another player then needing to be added to their final 30-man squad.
