The St George Illawarra Dragons are set to approach the NRL in an attempt to get salary cap dispensation for 2023 following Talatau Amone's immediate stand down.
Amone has fallen under the NRL's no-fault stand down policy following an alleged street-side melee with a tradesman, resulting in three charges being laid on the Tongan international.
The most serious of the three charges, occasioning reckless grievous bodily harm, carries a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment, with the stand down policy requiring a charge that attracts 11+ years maximum.
Compounding the Dragons' woes is the hamstring injury sustained by Jayden Sullivan at training, ruling the back-up half out for 4-6 weeks, and leaving Jack Bird and Moses Mbye to scrap it out for number six jersey.
However, their shift will just move the hole in the side as opposed to fixing it, with Bird and Mbye both in the club's best 17 prior to Amone's stand-down. Bird has spent the majority of the pre-season training at lock, while Mbye was set to inherit the bench utility role.
Salary cap dispensation has been granted to sides with stood down players in the past, however the figure is based off the projected number of games missed whilst stood down.
Amone is yet to set a court date, which makes that formula a tad trickier to follow in this circumstance.
Red V CEO Ryan Webb hasn't given up hope on being awarded the dispensation yet.
“As a club we'll approach the NRL, have that discussion and explore what's available to us with regard to salary cap dispensation,” Dragons chief executive Ryan Webb told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Regardless of the outcome, Amone will continue to be paid by St George Illawarra during the stand down period, and is free to continue training with the squad. A trial date is yet to be confirmed with the case adjourned until March 1st.
