Manly Sea Eagles fullback Tom Trbojevic has reportedly been knocked back after offering to return a portion of his salary.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the fullback was overcome by guilt after spending more time injured than on the park over the last three seasons.
The injury-riddled fullback, who was even trialled at centre for a single week by coach Anthony Seibold after returning from his latest injury, has managed just 28 games since the start of the 2022 campaign.
That number will increase over the final weeks - and finals - this season, but it's still not a fact Trbojevic is reportedly comfortable with.
Despite requesting to hand back as much as $700,000 of his salary over the three-year window - Trbojevic is one of the highest-paid players in the game - the NRL wasted no time in knocking back the request, pointing to the fact it would create a dangerous precedent that could also lead to clubs pressuring players to take less money.
It's understood a part of Trbojevic's proposal to the Sea Eagles and NRL is that he would move to centre fulltime, a position where players are generally paid less than at fullback.
Under NRL rules, no player is allowed to reduce their salary cap earnings on an already agreed upon contract, although may be upgraded to a higher wage.
This includes players leaving clubs mid-contract, with players generally not allowed to take less money at a rival unless agreed to by the NRL.
There is a track record here.
A number of years ago, Nathan Cleary elected to do the same mid-season, lowering his value in a bid to allow the Panthers to retain players rather than having to continue to sell. Even though that had nothing to do with injury, the NRL knocked back the request from the champion Penrith and New South Wales Blues' State of Origin halfback.
There have been other examples over the years, however, the NRL's salary cap auditor has applied a consistent approach to any players asking to take less in a bid to help their clubs.
Trbojevic's ploy being knocked back will impact Manly, although they had already planned to have the fullback's salary on the books until the end of his current deal.
Manly have long been rumoured to be in salary cap distress, although it's something which has been knocked back flat by the club's brass publically.