Marquee signings: Rhinos chief tells Salford owner Koukash ‘to put his money where his mouth is’

He was speaking after a majority of Super League clubs – eight versus four – voted to adopt a marquee-player rule from 2016.

Leeds favoured the amendment which means a marquee player will see only £100,000 if club-trained, or £175,000 if non-club trained, of his wages count on the £1.825m salary cap.

It can be used to not only attract high-calibre NRL players but prevent England’s best being lured to the more lucrative Australia or rugby union.

It is, though, the brainchild of Salford’s controversial multi-millionaire owner Koukash who has banged away hard to try force it through, finally doing so at the fourth attempt during yesterday’s Super League annual meeting.

Hetherington said: “The first thing that needs to be pointed out is that it’s not going to mark a mass exodus of superstars from the NRL to Super League. That’s not going to happen.

“It simply gives a club that is spending the full salary cap allowance – and that’s everyone apart from Wakefield – the opportunity to attract top-class players.