Jillaroos co-skipper and Brisbane Broncos captain Ali Brigginshaw has called on the NRL to finalise a Collective Bargaining Agreement for women players as a matter of urgency.
As it stands Jillaroos contesting the World Cup have no contractual certainty for next year with their NRLW clubs.
The national team as well as NRLW players are still waiting for the NRL to finalise a CBA with the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) to codify fair conditions and payments.
Discussions are ongoing and have been taking place this week.
RLPA chief Clint Newton said there was a reason those contesting the World Cup were doing so without signing off for 2023 or beyond.
"That is because if you don't have a CBA and you don't have a salary cap and you don't know what the club funding arrangements are for the 10 clubs then you can't go on contract," Newton told AAP.
"In the men's space you have a cap and we have ratchet clauses in place where the players can still sign.
"There are no women signing because there are no terms and conditions in place, and no payment model in place."
The women playing in the NRLW have not had a CBA since the competition began in 2018.
Brigginshaw said the CBA was vital.
"I think the only player to sign a multi-year deal is Tiana Penitani so none of us are on contract. We are all off contract," she told AAP.
"I don't imagine anyone would have signed anything because the CBA is not done. It is a bit of a troubling time and I hope we can get to the CBA agreement very soon.
"(The NRL) have to want to buy into what we are coming to them with from our union. The quicker we can resolve everything the less pressure it will have on the players."
Brigginshaw said her fellow Jillaroos knew suffering an injury at the World Cup could jeopardise their contractual prospects for 2023.
"For women's rugby league players any time we take the field it is risky," she said.
"That's because we have three or four-month contracts. We don't have yearly contracts.
"I hope eventually that gets sorted. I would like to see yearly contracts come out where we are supported for the whole year.
"Our union knows what we want and hopefully we can get that agreement soon."
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo has committed to engage with the players and RLPA on the CBA and Newton said he was hopeful the NRL would deliver.
"It comes down to prioritising it, which they say they are," Newton said.
"I am an optimist. It is going to depend on the NRL coming to the party with the right mindset."
The NRL has been approached for comment.
