“This is purely about getting our salary cap in better shape,and it’s not a simple thing to do,” Richardson said in a Tigers statement. “Effective salary cap management is so important in this business,and it’s a puzzle you simply must get right if you want to be a successful NRL club.”

Marshall added that he expects Papali’i to see out the rest of 2024 at the Tigers because “he is a man of high integrity and strong principles,and I know he will continue to live by our standards until he leaves at the end of this season”.

Richardsonflew to the UK on Tuesday night scouting potential signings and seeking expressions of interest from Super League clubs for several Tigers players.

Five-eighth Jayden Sullivan,who is set to earn around $600,000 in the final seasons of his four-year deal,centre Brent Naden and veteran back-rower John Bateman are among those the club is willing to offload in a bid to rejuvenate Marshall’s roster.

The Roosters’ own exodus at the end of 2024,with Joey Manu and Joseph Suaalii (both heading to rugby union),Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Super League) and Luke Keary (retirement) has given the club plenty of cash to play with,and Crichton has repaid the faith shown last year when he battled mental health issues.

Crichton’s pointed comments that “I don’t want to be sitting behind anyone”in the wake of Fifita’s initial agreement to join the Roosters raised eyebrows,but have been clarified as negotiations continued this week.

Crichton has no ill feelings about the Roosters’ pursuit of Fifita,given he asked the club last year for permission to explore options in rugby union.

His own resurgence on the field has the 28-year-old preferring to stay in the NRL for now,with a two-year deal still keeping an overseas shift in the 15-man code as an option in the future.

French outfit Montpellier,typically a powerhouse in the Top 14,had been the leading contender to take Crichton to rugby,but is now facing a relegation play-off and significant salary cap restrictions if forced down to France’s second division.

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