THE "hysteria" surrounding the exodus of NRL players to overseas clubs is unjustified, says Australian Rugby League chief executive Geoff Carr.

Queensland Origin captain Darren Lockyer during the week called on the game's administrators to take action to deter NRL stars from leaving Australia to accept lucrative contracts with English Super League or rugby union clubs.

"If we let it get out of a hand it could be dangerous," Lockyer said.

But it appears the ARL is powerless to stop representative players such as Craig Gower (French rugby), Shaun Berrigan (Hull) and Matt King (unnamed Super League club) chasing huge pots of cash that NRL clubs can't match under the $4 million salary cap.

"It's always a concern and you always keep your eye on it but there's a lot of hysteria about the number of players in Super League at the moment which I think is not quite justified," Carr said.

"It's certainly an issue but we shouldn't be panicking.

"We need to look at the reasons, look at the people who are going and why they're going.

"I can't see a problem with players like Gower, Berrigan and King who have given good service and aren't getting any younger trying to increase their career prospects by playing elsewhere.

"The real issue for me is when other competitions start to attract the really good young superstars of the game [in Australia].

"So far that hasn't happened and that's not to say it won't. I guess that's the issue for the game."

Lockyer disagrees with Test coach Ricky Stuart's call last weekend for the dismissal of NSW centre King from Origin football.

King, who turns 27 next month and has played nine Origins for NSW and 10 Tests, will reportedly announce soon he has signed a Super League deal worth more than $600,000 a season.

"I don't think they should be sacked but I think there needs to be something put in place to deter [representative] players from going [overseas]," Lockyer said.

"At the end of your career you can probably understand it but in Matt King's case, he's a first-class player and you'd like to keep him here.

"If Great Britain want to strengthen their talent, I don't think bringing in foreigners all the time into their teams is going to help."

Carr pointed out it would become a restraint of trade issue if the ARL imposed strict conditions on players leaving the NRL to ply their trade overseas.

"We want the best players playing here," he said.

"But the second part of the argument is that if a player has given good service in the NRL and wants to extend his career by playing elsewhere, is it fair to try to restrict him?"

Gower, 29, will reportedly be paid up to $1.5 million in a three-year deal with French rugby club Bayonne.

"When you talk about that sort of money, it's hard to knock it back," Lockyer said.

"What do you do? Our salary cap is only going from $4 million to $4.2 million or something in the next four years. That's always going to be the danger."