The PNG Chiefs have halted their interest in Raiders and NSW Origin player Hudson Young due to concerns about the impact of matching Canberra's unprecedented $1.1 million-a-year deal on their salary cap.
Young has inadvertently become the face of frustration among other clubs regarding the Chiefs' financial strength after he opted to leave the Raiders' substantial three-year, $3.3 million proposal on the table last month to explore opportunities with PNG.
In an effort to expedite the situation, Canberra CEO Don Furner allowed Young to negotiate with PNG before his contract expires on November 1 and to visit the club's facilities in Port Moresby later this month.
Furner also confirmed this publication's report regarding the NRL salary cap auditor informing PNG that any contract must be registered at what the league identifies as the player's market value.
ARL Commission chair Peter V'landys echoed this notion during a meeting of CEOs on Wednesday, though he did not mention Young specifically.