Bulldogs in the dock

Bob Hagan apologised to the Bulldogs fans

The Australian National Rugby League (NRL) said on Thursday that a decision on what penalty Canterbury Bulldogs will face for breaching the league's salary cap may not be made until early next week.

The Bulldogs are five points clear at the top of the table but face sanctions after breaching the salary cap by AUS $1m over two years.

Bulldogs break rules

Earlier on Thursday, NRL chairman John Chalk said the Sydney-based club would be expelled from the end-of-season play-offs.

Chalk told the Sydney Morning Herald that the public reaction to the club's offence had been "very stong".

Chalk added: "The game must come first. (The Bulldogs) certainly won't be in any finals."

The players have every right to feel proud of what they have achieved this season

Steve Folkes
Bulldogs coach

But embarrassed NRL officials later tried to play down the threat of expulsion, and stressed that the investigation was ongoing.

"That's not our position," said NRL chief executive David Gallop.

"We have been very careful to say we won't make any decision until we get the full picture on this.

"We need to know the size of the breach and once we've done that we will move to the next phase.

"There's nothing we can do at this stage about the Bulldogs playing on Sunday and I don't think it would be appropriate to do anything about that."

Bulldogs chief executive Bob Hagan departed on Tuesday as a result of the crisis and was replaced on Thursday by former player Steve Mortimer.

Braith Anasta could be heading to union

In a statement released on Tuesday, Hagan said: "Clearly someone must take responsibility for one of the darkest periods in the history of the club."

And more trouble looms after Braith Anasta, the Bulldogs' highest-paid player, threatened to move to rugby union if he is forced to take a pay cut.

"The pressure this has put on Braith is just astronomical," said Anasta's manager, Greg Willett.

"He's just a kid and as far as we're concerned we have a contract and we haven't done anything illegal or wrong.

"If he is paid a cent less than promised, I'd be happy to let him go and walk into the biggest rugby union contract of his life."

Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes has insisted the club's problems should not detract from the players' efforts in winning a club-record 17 consecutive games this season.

"The players have every right to feel proud of what they have achieved this season and as far as I am concerned that remains untarnished by everything else that has happened," said Folkes.