The NRL only lists players with registered contracts. A player and a club signing a contract today doesn’t mean that it is registered today. The NRL goes through a number of processes before they will register a contract. Does the player already have an existing contract, will the contract take the club over their Cap, do they have space in their 30 player limit, is the agent listed on the contracted registered as an agent and do they have an NRL licence to act as a player agent, etc etc. There is also the 10 day cooling off period to be considered.
This can take weeks and more than once the contract has to be revised, I have heard of contracts that needed multiple revisions. That is despite the NRL having standard contract wording and clauses, very few contracts are “vanilla”.
Players and clubs do often have “letters of intent”, for example JAC had one with the Tigers, which indicates that they intend to sign a contract. But that is not the same as actually signing a contract and having it registered with the NRL. As a result of their player signing an LoI with a club the agent will often advise other club/s that they won’t be taking up their offer. It is not uncommon for the club/s that missed to leak to the media and then the player is promoted as having signed. Which of course may not happen for weeks or maybe not at all.
Even without an LoI players and agents can often agree to contract terms but the actual contract itself isn’t completed until the wording is finalised. That can take weeks moving between the relevant lawyers and accountants.
Take SST for example, if he really has to pass a medical then no contract will be signed and registered with the NRL until that is completed.
Always a Bulldog