Melbourne Storm May Forfeit Round 1 Match Unless Cap Issues Are Fixed

The Melbourne Storm are under pressure to get their salary cap in order by round one or they will be forced to forfeit.

The Daily Telegraph revealed recently the Storm have been shopping Sam Kasiano around to rival clubs in a bid to squeeze under the 2019 salary cap.

The Storm’s full cap crisis was laid bare on Tuesday morning by Triple M NRL commentator Ben Dobbin, who told Triple M’s Big Breakfast that the club is $600,000 over the 2019 cap.

He reported the club is desperate to find a new home for Kasiano because the NRL recently threatened the club with being excluded from the opening round of the season on March 14 if they are still not salary cap compliant.

The NRL’s other tool for dealing with clubs who are over the cap heading into the start of a season would see the Storm lose captain Cameron Smith, who was the last player to sign on with the Storm for the 2019 season.

Melbourne Storm have ridiculed suggestions they will forfeit their season-opening clash with Brisbane due to salary cap constraints.

“We are working through a few things but it’s ludicrous to suggest we won’t be able to field a team.

“I’m not sure where that one started but there’s no truth to it.

“We will be there and ready to go on March 14.”

Melbourne’s salary cap crunch comes with the Sharks reportedly set to face a salary cap reduction of up to $500,000 for their salary cap scandal which reportedly dates back to cap breaches in 2015.

The Wests Tigers are also reportedly set to learn their fate surrounding a preliminary salary cap reduction of $640,000 surrounding an ambassadorial deal with club great Robbie Farah.

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