Welsh rugby's contractual uncertainty lingers on almost a month after Wales players called off their threat of striking for the England Six Nations clash.
Along with the Welsh Rugby Union's controversial 60-cap selection rule being dropped to 25 and players being given a choice between contract types, a key part of the negotiations to end the strike threat was for regions to start offering legally-binding, written contracts.
Up until that point, they had only been able to offer verbal agreements. Now, the uncertainty continues three weeks after the major talks between Welsh regional players, the Welsh Rugby Union and Professional Rugby Board at Welsh rugby's Vale HQ in the week leading up to Wales' Six Nations clash with England.
Then, on matchday on February 25, WRU interim chief executive Nigel Walker said he would "hold their [regions'] feet to the fire" if they did not start offering formal contracts by the end of the following week.
That was almost three weeks ago, and while the regions have been offering conditional contracts, there have been disagreements at PRB level on the finer details of the contracts. However, the contractual uncertainty is thought to be nearing its conclusion with Wales' four regions expected to start offering formal contracts as early as this Friday.
Following the protracted contractual freeze, the four regions have been in negotiations with players and their agents over their futures. One region has already sent draft contracts out to players, while others have only given verbal offers.
WalesOnline understands an agreement has been reached between the PRB, which runs the pro game in Wales (with representatives from the WRU, regions and independent members) and the Welsh Rugby Players' Association on a standard contract and international player release deal.
The PRB and the Rugby Management Board have held a number of crunch meetings in recent weeks as they bid to resolve the issue with both parties working closely with the WRPA to make minor tweaks to the new contracting framework.
We understand the PRB is close to officially agreeing a new six-year framework to secure the future of professional rugby in Wales, some three months after a verbal agreement was reached, while it is considered vital Welsh rugby moves away from the financial insecurities of an annual funding model.
But Welsh rugby is set to go through further pain over the next two seasons, with players' wages set to be pushed down with the maximum salary becoming £270,000.
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As part of the new agreement, players are also expected to get a choice between a fixed term contract or a fixed price contract. In simple terms, a player could get the choice between signing a contract of £80,000 with no bonuses, or a contract of £70,000 which could potentially rise to £90,000 if he meets certain appearance or performance markers.
To make matters even tougher for the regions, their playing budgets will eventually get pushed down to £4.5million, limiting the chances of on-field success.
Many players are expected to leave Wales, with Cardiff duo Dillon Lewis and Jarrod Evans already signed for Harlequins while Ross Moriarty is in advanced negotiations with Bayonne. Will Rowlands was the first major departure, having signed for Racing 92 for next season from Dragons.
Some players who decide to stay will have to take significant pay cuts, some as low as £30,000 a year, with Welsh rugby powerbrokers insisting a rebalancing of player wages is a necessity to make the game in Wales sustainable again.
One regional player who is facing a significant pay cut told us he was considering accepting a job outside of professional rugby, while also playing at semi-professional level. The player in question revealed he would earn more money if he were to go down that road than if he were to accept the conditional offer he has received.
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