Central contracts confirmed for 30 elite players with 4 being allocated to each club. Clubs can negotiate for a 5th from that remaining 6 which can be possibly one player that has refused their allocation. So it's sounds clear from that wording that you had an option to refuse your club allocation, but you can then be up for grabs by anyone.
Most of the 30 players have agreed to terms with announcements coming soon, probably after Origin (25th) but maybe prior.
Top 4 players get $28,000 wage, 5th player is negotiable and free agents (non-top 30s) can earn between $8,000-$16,000. Elite wages designed to lure players to other/new clubs to spread the talent. I'm curious If you can refuse to be centrally contracted at all if you don't care about the extra money and want to stay at your current club.
Brisbane are apparently prepared to fly Amber Hall in for another season, whether she's a Top 30 I don't know, but she likely would be. In fact you could name up to maybe 10 players from our squad that could conceivably make that list. Ali, Amber Hall, Upton, Aiken, Boyle, Robbo, Lenarduzzi, Loz Brown, Romy Teitzel and you have the injured duo of Raecene McGregor and Meg Ward. Meanwhile underselling Annette Brander, Shenae Ciesolka, Lavinia Gould, Jess Elliston, Shannon Mato and Tallisha Harden. All representative players in their own right. Interesting times ahead for player movements.
So just a calendar check, we are 8-9 weeks from the first round (Rd 23 of the men's comp), and no club officially has signed anyone, although there appears to be some forgone conclusions.
Meanwhile the Lions in the AFLW for example, while granted don't have to contend with extra teams and probable 'salary cap' fuckery, have already re-signed about 90% of this year's premiership winning side plus one external signing and don't play their next season until 2022.
NRL is so goddamn amateur-hour