THE chances of halfback Todd Carney playing professionally this year dimmed yesterday when the NRL said it would not register the sacked Canberra player.

With Huddersfield preparing to concede defeat in their attempts to have Carney play in the English Super League this year due to visa problems, the NRL's chief operating officer Graham Annesley said the 22-year-old would not be allowed to play in the NRL this year, and even suggested Carney would have to make significant off-field strides in order to play in 2010.

Legal action may be the last resort for the controversial player to resume his career on home soil, however there is now a growing feeling he will be forced to sit out the season. As revealed in the Herald yesterday, the Giants have begun canvassing other clubs and managers in the hope of securing another halfback, with Carney yet to secure the necessary paperwork to travel to the UK.

Carney's manager, David Riolo, has already stated he would ask the NRL to allow Carney to play in the competition this year should his visa application, lodged in October, be rejected.

Canberra chief executive Don Furner, who sacked Carney last August following a string of alcohol-related misdemeanours, refused to comment on his former player's predicament. But it is understood the Raiders board would not be sympathetic to any attempt by Carney to play for another NRL team this year. Conceivably, Riolo could attempt to strike a deal with Canberra that would include compensation being paid to the Raiders from the NRL club that plans to sign him.

However, that would appear unlikely given most clubs are already stretching the limits of the salary cap. Carney would, presumably, have to challenge his deregistration in the courts in order to play this year.

Asked yesterday about Carney's situation, Annesley said: "We indicated last August that we would not accept registration of a contract for Todd Carney for the 2009 season, and our position has not changed. If Todd addresses his issues, and support services will remain available for him to do so through our counselling and welfare programs, then we will reassess his position for 2010."

One club that would be keen to see Carney on the market for 2009 might be Wests Tigers, who have publicly expressed an interest in the playmaker for next year.

Their chief executive, Scott Longmuir, remained coy about the prospects of an attempt to secure him for the upcoming season, saying only: "Obviously Canberra would have to give some sort of position. There'd be a lot of water under the bridge before anyone has an opportunity to sign him for this year. A whole lot of things would have to get sorted out.

"We've expressed an interest in him [for 2010] and we'll keep talking with regard to that."