UNDER-FIRE Dragons boss Peter Doust has tried to deflect attention from his handling of France-bound centre Mark Gasnier's controversial contract by claiming "many more" NRL players have identical get-out options.

As the pressure increases on the St George Illawarra chief executive for allowing Gasnier to position himself with an escape clause that enabled the Test and Origin star to quit the club two seasons into a five-year deal, Doust said he had been informed the clause was "across the NRL". And he insisted he would not fall on his sword over Gasnier's exit.

"Nobody likes to see their club, themselves and their brand associated with some of the things that have been reported over the last 24 hours," Doust said. "But the clause is not exclusive to his contract. It exists in many, many contracts, and people prepared to be balanced should be prepared to recognise that's the case.

"People have tried to level blame at me personally. I'm not one of those pointing fingers in return. I'm clear, and so is Gaz, about what we did to keep him in the game in 2006, and I'm clear now about seeing him move on, even though it is sad for the game, and sad for the Dragons."

Doust maintained no other Dragons player had the clause in their contracts. Gasnier's two-year deal with French rugby union club Stade Francais continued to provoke discussion yesterday on the best way to balance the prospect of losing more stars to the game's newest threat, European rugby, with its enormous financial clout. Brisbane skipper Darren Lockyer urged the NRL to ignore the temptation to cripple the game to stop players chasing huge overseas contracts.

"We can't bend the rules just for a dozen or so players at the risk of potentially crippling the great product we have," Lockyer said at a World Cup promotion in Brisbane. "I'd hate to see us starting to pay big money to players that we can't afford and the game suffers … we can't offer money that's not there."

Test coach Ricky Stuart admitted he had been spooked by the money being offered by French rugby union, which has lured Craig Gower, Luke Rooney as well as Gasnier - the highest paid of the trio after securing a $1 million-a-year deal.

"What I'm scared about is it will happen to our young players more and more," he said. "Greg Inglis and Israel Folau are two names that come to mind … we have to put some strategies together to protect the young players we're developing."

Wendell Sailor, just two NRL games into his comeback after a stint in rugby union and a drugs ban, is believed to be another target, however Doust appeared confident the dual international winger would see out the remainder of his Dragons contract, which ends post-2009.

"Wendell made it quite clear his major focus, his redemption, was to play in the NRL," Doust said. "He could have gone to rugby overseas if he wanted to, but he chose to re-establish himself in this country."

Sailor would only say: "I'm just concentrating on trying to get back into the Dragons' top 17."

Doust was coy about what would be done with the funds freed up by the loss of Gasnier and prop Jason Ryles, with the club believed to be closing in on the signatures of Brisbane's Queensland winger Darius Boyd and Penrith hooker Luke Priddis.

The Dragons, and Gasnier, received some high-profile backing yesterday from club great Norm Provan. "If he is not happy with the money side of it, with Saints, I can understand him going."