ANTHONY TUPOU's desire to remain with Sydney Roosters could lead to his being left out in the cold - unable to sign with either his current club or suitors Manly.

With the Roosters desperate to keep the representative forward and the Sea Eagles just as keen to gain him, Tupou had been in a strong bargaining position, but Manly officials yesterday conceded they were running out of time and would soon have to move on in order to re-sign existing players.

It is understood the Roosters are trying to find enough room under the cap to make a significant offer. That, however, is proving tough, and the negotiations between all three parties are almost at a standstill.

Tupou is waiting for the Roosters to come forward with a firm offer. But the Sea Eagles are not prepared to wait much longer, and chief executive Grant Mayer suggested the club could have to move on in the next week.

If the Roosters, who who have more dollars to spend after Danny Nutley rejoined Cronulla this week, are unable to come up with the money for Tupou and the Sea Eagles pull their own offer, one of the last top-shelf options on the open market might have lost his two preferred options.

"We're still no clearer in regards to Anthony's intentions," Mayer said. "Obviously he's waiting for an offer from the Roosters in writing. We'll just wait and see what happens early next week. But the club's got to move on."

The situation has been clouded by the Sea Eagles' sluggish start to the season - and the realisation they need back-line players more than back-rowers.

"Our focus is certainly on a youth policy," Mayer said. "We're looking at a number of players in our current playing group so we can develop them into first graders.

"Anthony's one of the last marquee players available, and he's in a pretty good position - a lot of clubs are after him. But the simple fact is, clubs have got to move forward due to the changes in recruitment. Players are making decisions in April, March and even February now rather than July."

Mayer, meanwhile, is confident Eels officials can stop a repeat of last year's ugly scenes at the clash between the two sides at Parramatta Stadium, when coins were thrown at the players and football staff.

Ahead of Jamie Lyon's second trip back to the ground in an opposition jumper tonight, Mayer said: "It was embarrassing for them and embarrassing for the game, but I have every confidence that they'll have things under control. We're not concerned about it. It was just a group of idiots who got too carried away."

Elsewhere, Gold Coast coach John Cartwright has attacked the four-match suspension handed five-eighth Mat Rogers on Wednesday night, claiming it "sends the wrong message".

The Titans failed to have Rogers's grade-three dangerous throw charge, after a tackle on Parramatta fullback Luke Burt last Friday night, downgraded.

It led to a fiery response by Cartwright in the wake of recent controversies over grapple tackles, wrestling and even striking.

"Comparing that tackle to a punch in the head - I'm a bit lost by that," he said. "And with those other new breeds of tackles, and guys getting punched in the head and getting the same [suspension] … people have had a whinge about grapples yet you've got a genuine attempt to make a traditional rugby league tackle, and he's banished from the game. You can't go out and encourage guys to drive with their shoulder now. Kids have been taught to do that from day dot. I just can't follow it."

Cartwright said the suspension had "shattered" Rogers.

"He's gone 15 years without a blemish on his record," he said. "We rolled the dice [in trying to get a downgrade] but I wanted to go in and fight it whole hog. I can't see how he could have got three weeks, either. It's sending an awful wrong message."

And Knights coach Brian Smith has urged selectors to rest hooker Danny Buderus from next month's City-Country clash - although Australian Rugby League officials indicated he was unlikely to receive any special dispensation.

Smith said he would consider standing Buderus down from the Knights' clash with Gold Coast on May 3 if necessary. Last year Buderus suffered a recurrence of Achilles problems after playing three matches in seven days, including skippering Country.