The league and players' union are finally close to peace on the women's game after lengthy meetings last week, with this year's expanded 10-team NRLW competition to begin on about July 21.
Under the terms of the looming agreement, the 2023 and 2024 NRLW seasons will include a nine-round regular season before two weeks of finals.
Players will also be given two weeks of annual leave as part of their contract, along with seven weeks of pre-season training to make for a 20-week commitment.
State of Origin will stay at two matches for at least the next two seasons before potentially going to three, with representative matches falling outside the club window.
Teams will be granted a salary cap of $900,000 for this season at an average of $37,500 per player, with the cap to go to more than $1.5 million in 2027 at an average salary of $62,500.
Clubs will also be able to help players find further employment, with the approval of the salary cap auditor.
AAP has been told expansion is then likely to come in 2025, with the possibility of two extra teams taking the competition to 12 sides, with funding already set aside for it.
That will coincide with the total commitment growing to 23 weeks, with an extra two rounds likely as well as an extra week of finals or an additional week in the pre-season.
The Warriors could be one option to potentially return to the NRLW after COVID-19 forced them outÂ
All remaining clubs without a side - Melbourne, South Sydney, Canterbury, Penrith, Manly and the Dolphins - have also previously signalled their intent to join the competition.
The women's league will continue to be played alongside the end of the men's NRL season with a double-header grand final, after officials resisted the urge to go to an early-season competition.
The framework comes after protracted negotiations between the NRL and players' union that at times turned ugly.
But players will finally be able to start entering contracts shortly, after months of fearing any serious injury would cost them an entire season's salary while unsigned.
Players will also be able to enter multi-year deals as part of the competition's new structure, while four development players at each club will be paid for the first time.
A pregnancy policy will also be enacted, which will allow players to step away from the game for 12 months while still keeping their contracts.
Clubs will be able to access a replacement player during that period, before a mother makes a call on whether to return to the game after one year of leave.
Negotiations remain ongoing between the players' union and the NRL on the men's game and an overall collective bargaining agreement, with that deal rolling over from last season.
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