The row concerns Grant going back on a promise he made to clubs stating future funding for clubs would be 30 per cent more than the salary cap.

After being told by Grant he would not be honouring the agreement, chairmen of the Storm, Sharks, Bulldogs and Cowboys stormed out of a meeting at NRL headquarters late Wednesday afternoon and straight to a Paddington pub to discuss their options.

They were later joined by the remaining chairmen.

Roosters chairman Nick Politis was teleconferenced at the meeting and is believed to be in solidarity with those who stormed out.   

Grant’s resignation is believed to be the only way to avoid crippling the game in a fashion reminiscent of the Super League war of the mid-90s for which the game is still recovering.

“He looked us in the eye last year and promised our future grants would be 30 per cent more than the salary cap,” one club official told The Daily Telegraph.

“Now he’s reneged.”

Key stakeholders were in talks late Wednesday night to issue a no-confidence vote on Grant, however, he only needs four votes to stay in the job.

He is likely to have those votes from Queensland, the NRL-owned Titans and Knights as well as the crippled Eels. 

As it stands, clubs have no idea what the salary cap will be beyond next year, do not have a future funding plan, are yet to install a bargaining agreement with the players and have no participation contracts with clubs beyond 2018.