The third party agreements that leave Canberra Raiders fans up in arms have finally come to light but the figures will do little to silence the Green Machine faithful.
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NRL chief operating officer Nick Weeks says the total value of third party agreements across the 16 clubs has been made public in the hope it can dispel myths about how much of an advantage certain clubs have over their rivals.
Raiders chairman Allan Hawke was unable to attend Thursday's chairman's meeting where third party agreements were discussed, with Canberra chief executive Don Furner filling the void.
Furner has previously called on the NRL to cap third party agreements in an equalisation measure, conceding they couldn't be scrapped completely because it would hinder a player's earning potential compared with rival codes.
The total value of third party agreements across the board in 2018 was $4.2 million and clubs are bracing for the number to drop next season following the retirement of some of rugby league's biggest stars.
The Raiders sat above the median with the club's third party agreements totalling close to $200,000 in 2018 but well below the average of $264,000.
The Sydney Roosters are almost level with the Raiders in private sector arms length agreements which has drawn scrutiny from fans league-wide.
Raiders fans have grown increasingly frustrated by other clubs' ability to recruit superstars and not break the bank, while Canberra are often forced to pay overs to lure players to the capital.
The defending premiers boast a star-studded roster with the additions of Cooper Cronk and James Tedesco laying the platform for their return to the summit.
The Raiders finished short of the finals for the second consecutive year as the club searches for answers to replicate the dizzying heights of 2016.
Just four clubs met the 2018 average, which was blown out of the water by the Melbourne Storm (more than $1 million) and the Brisbane Broncos (almost $800,000).
Both clubs are in one-team towns with a plethora of corporate backers waiting in line, which will do little but fuel critics who say the numbers point out the discrepancy between powerful franchises and battlers.
The North Queensland Cowboys and South Sydney Rabbitohs are the only other clubs to match the average, but the former's total agreements is expected to plummet following the retirement of Johnathan Thurston.
The Parramatta Eels, Gold Coast Titans and Canterbury Bulldogs barely cracked the $50,000 barrier.
"For the first time fans, clubs and others will be able to see for themselves the volume of third party agreements that exist in the game," Weeks said.
"One of the challenges we've seen is some misconception in the game about the volume of TPAs, which has caused some clubs and others to make some bad decisions around the salary cap rules.
"Ultimately if people are prepared to cheat, then they're going to do that, and no regulation is going to stop it.
"What this might do is help the NRL detect that type of behaviour earlier."
The NRL had considered making the player salaries public knowledge as is the norm in sporting leagues across the United States but decided a new contract registering system will suffice when it comes to monitoring the cap.
The NRL is able to keep an eye on suspicious activity having gained power to access the phone and bank records of players in the latest collective bargaining agreement.
Meanwhile, New Zealand sevens winger Bailey Simonsson has stationed himself at Raiders headquarters in the hope of securing an NRL contract.
The 20-year-old has football in his blood - his father Paul was an All Black who played provincial rugby for both Waikato and Wellington.
It comes as former Junior All Black Paul Roache departs the club, having been an integral part of Mounties' Jersey Flegg Cup side in 2018.
