The long-winded negotiations for the collective bargaining agreement are believed to be reaching their final destination, but the NRL's transfer window and policy is now believed to be the final road block.

The negotiations between the NRL, Australian Rugby League Commission and Rugby League Players Association have been ongoing for over a year.

The threat of a strike seems to have been thwarted in recent weeks with the first round of the 2023 season going off without a hitch last weekend despite the agreement not yet being formally agreed upon.

That followed the reported involvement of Peter V'Landys and progression from both sides in the negotiations, with NRL CEO Andrew Abdo and the RLPA's Clint Newton spending plenty of time in the same room over the last month.

Despite that, the frustration at the length of time it has taken to reach this point is still palpable between both organisations, with the original deadline being last October.

The delays saw the season launch cancelled and various media commitments expected to promote the campaign abandoned by players, who remained united over a number of sticking points, which included the women's game.

The Sydney Morning Herald are reporting that the two parties could agree to an in principle agreement over the future of the game, which would include revenue shares and future salary cap amounts, but may not be able to do so with clubs seeking clarity around the future of the transfer window.

The current policy in the NRL is that any player off-contract at the end of the following season may sign a deal with a new club from November 1 the previous year.

It means multiple players wind up playing a full season with their current club before moving to a different club where they have already signed.

It's often a bug bear of fans, and the NRL reportedly want to move the window back to June 30, meaning players couldn't sign for the following year until most of the season prior has passed.

That is well-known to be being fought by the RLPA however, who believe it could take away from players and their future earning potential, while a number of players have also individually spoken out against the mooted move.

It's now feared that the two parties could spend weeks more, if not months, at the negotiating table as they attempt to put the finishing touches on the collective bargaining agreement.