Parramatta CEO Paul Osborne admits the club's unexpected surge to the grand final will make it nearly impossible to keep the side intact next season.
Low-profile forwards Todd Lowrie and Kevin Kingston and under-rated half-back Jeff Robson head into Sunday's decider against Melbourne unsigned for next season after playing for their futures with every game this season.
The imminent arrival of dual international Timana Tahu and representative forwards Justin Poore and Shane Shackleton has the Eels near their salary cap limit.
While Robson has been offered a modestly upgraded one-year deal, Lowrie and Kingston are likely to be squeezed out to make room for the new signings.
With his match payments included in next year's salary cap, Kingston has generously offered to forgo $50,000 to stay at the club.
Wingers Luke Burt and Eric Grothe may also be on their way after the grand final, easing the financial pressures further.
But Osborne indicated that despite the cost cutting, he will still be struggling to balance the books.
"I'm confident we will have something worked out for 'Robbo' but Kevvie Kingston and Todd Lowrie ... it's those guys we are struggling to keep," Osborne told Sportal.
"We will do our best to keep them but there will be salary caps issues there."
"We are being very careful with the cap and working very close with 'Shooey' (salary cap auditor Ian Schubert) but we probably won't be able to please everybody."
"But everyone else will be here for next year (and) we've got Timana coming back and Justin Poore and Shane Shackleton coming over, so arguably we should be even stronger."
Osborne revealed the Eels' late-season run to the decider had revived the club's fortunes off the field, resulting in an increase in potential memberships and sponsors.
"On the park things are looking good for us and we want to capitalise off the field," he said.
"We're working very much on memberships and sponsors and all the little off-field things we need to take care of."
"If they keep playing like this it makes it a lot easier for us."
"We could have the best program in the world but if the boys are getting touched up every week it doesn’t mean a thing."
"Making a grand final was beyond my wildest dreams when I arrived, but I'm not about to knock it back."