Dubbo star Kaide Ellis, currently forming part of the Panther's powerhouse forwards pack, is one of the 180 players currently signed who will see their contract end at the finish of the 2020 calendar year.

With the financial reality of the NRL competition beyond the current postponement uncertain, Rugby Leage Player Association chief Clint Newton told NRL.COM that no contracts could be renegotiated with uncertainty clouding the future of the player salary cap.

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The salary cap for 2021 was originally pegged at around $10 million, but the current streak of financial knocks could see it reduced sharply when the game is finally renewed.

Under the current agreement worked out between the RLPA and NRL on Thursday, players will continue to receive two months salary during the cancellation of play, but will forego another five months of salary should the season not restart in time this year.

The NRL have previously designated September 1 as the hard cut-off point beyond which a truncated season would not be able to be completed.

"We've put some things in place to stop a lot of deals being done because we're unsure of what the financial circumstances are or what the overall consequences are of the pandemic we're working through," Newton told NRL.COM.

"From about mid-July we're going to have a definitive date on whether or not we're going to be able to play by September."

"That's the deadline for us to say we're playing."

If that deadline can't be met, it would leave the Central West's Kaide Ellis and Will Kennedy with their immediate futures up in the air following the completion of the current season's time-frame, with further changes expected to take place if things aren't resolved.

"So then it's about working through the different things we will need to discuss and negotiate with the NRL about any material change for 2021."

"Then it will be a reactivation of away you go clubs because we're not playing this year, this what you're going to have to deal with or work with for next year."

"And then put some things in place, particularly around if there are any possibilities of a salary cap reduction.

"It may happen before that, it may happen in the next few weeks if we get back to playing, or it could be the moment we get back.

"If you go back to playing, it's let's go, you're right to start renegotiating."