THE overseas quota for each Super League squad will increase to ten next season, clubs have been told.
Currently teams can have a maximum of seven non-federation trained players, but this is set to be significantly increased.
The change comes amid concern over the domestic talent pool, especially with a future increase in the number of Super League clubs still on the table.
Several proposals were put forward for the overseas quota, including scrapping it altogether.
It was also mooted that players who had spent a certain number of years in Super League would become exempt from the quota.
Instead, clubs have been given the green light to recruit a further three overseas men for the start of the 2026 campaign.
With no major changes planned to the salary cap, clubs wishing to take advantage of the decision will likely recruit further from Australia’s second-tier competitions, the Queensland Cup and New South Wales Cup.
Since the start of the 2024 season, players aged 24 or under to have played in those competitions have been eligible for visas, as well as any player aged 26 or under with previous NRL experience and those to have played for youth international sides.
The change will also allow clubs to retain off-contract overseas players for whom there was previously no space on the quota, such as Hull FC forward Liam Knight and Wakefield Trinity winger Lachlan Walmsley.
The new quota is expected to be rubber-stamped at a meeting later this month.