Former Newcastle forward Tony Butterfield said he would continue to manage Sean Rudder's career although he had no plans to become an accredited agent.

Rudder, whose last top-grade game was for the Knights in 2003, was cleared to make his NRL return for the Roosters on Friday night and then in Newtown's 19-19 NSW Cup draw against the Bulldogs yesterday, although there were fears his contract wouldn't be registered because Butterfield isn't accredited.

The NRL can only register contracts negotiated by an accredited manager. Butterfield stressed he backed the rule, having fought hard to get the system in place while head of the players' association.

But he believed the structure of the accreditation committee is flawed and wanted to make a stand.

His concern is that two of the seven committee members are player managers, which could cause problems.

"We've got a situation where agents are making decisions about other agents," Butterfield told The Sun-Herald yesterday. "We should be pursuing the best model and not one that clearly will cause conflicts of interest. It's also ridiculous that a player isn't allowed to appoint a father, lawyer or other trusted person to act on their behalf, at least in the initial stages of their career. Young players are forced to sign up with an agent, even though they don't really have a relationship with them.

"If those concerns are allayed, I'll be behind the system 100 per cent."

Butterfield denied he was sacked by Rudder, but acknowledged the journeyman utility had to broker his own agreement with the Roosters.

"Rudder hasn't sacked me … I'll continue to look after him," he said.

Committee chairman Geoff Bellew rejected suggestions the committee structure was flawed.

He said there was an independent chairman and that agents, the players' association and the league were all represented.

"Apparently, if you accept what the NRL has done you can artificially contrive a set of circumstances that lets you get around the rule," Bellew said of the Rudder case.

"I remain firmly of the view the NRL shouldn't have registered that contract from the start. This was the first real test and the NRL blinked, they've made a mockery of the rule."