The 31-year-old dual-code international is still in Australia tending to pressing family matters and, with the new Super League season just three weeks away, the Dragons are preparing for life without him.

New centre signing Dean Whare has been allocated Folau's number four shirt, even though he has yet to arrive in the country, but the Catalans say the door will remain open.

"The numbers aren't really an issue for him," said football manager Alex Chan, who is in constant dialogue with Folau. "We still anticipate he's going to return at some point.

"When, we're not sure. At the moment, we don't want to put any more pressure on him than he's got already at home so we'll just keep moving and prepare for our season."

St George Illawarra made a public move for the controversial former Wallabies star before experiencing a backlash from sponsors and fans, and Brisbane have also been linked with a move.

Chan insists Folau has not spoken to any NRL club as he puts the health of his sick mother-in-law at the top of his list of priorities.

"From the conversations we've had with Izzy, his mind isn't on the game for obvious reasons," Chan said. "His priority is his family and we fully support that. He's not spoken to anyone."

Folau, who joined the Perpignan club ahead of the 2019 season, is contracted to the end of 2021 and Chan says they will demand a transfer fee, having been duped in the past into releasing unsettled players who went on to sign for other clubs.

"It's sad to say but this is the business we are in," Chan said. "We have to treat it as a business as much as we are a family club.

"We've been burnt often in the past. We've put our heart on our sleeve and it's come back and bit us.

"We're at a point now where we have to draw a line in the sand where we're not going to be taken for granted."

Chan says the Catalans have not gone as far as naming a price for Folau.

"That's a conversation we'd have to have at board level with the president and the board," he said.

"Business is business and we have to ensure the safety of our business by putting things in place to make sure both parties are happy."

As they prepare to start the season with two behind-closed-doors fixtures in England, the Dragons are gearing up to play their round-three match against Salford in mid-April at home and soon hope to be back playing in front of fans as France battles to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

"We're ready to go and really looking forward to getting our crowds back," Chan said.

"It's a bit mixed in France. Certain regions up north seem to be getting higher in numbers whereas down here we're looking really good. We're moving in a positive direction."

Australian Associated Press