Scarlets boss Simon Muderak says regions should be wary of “caves” in the long-term financial deal they are close to agreeing with the Welsh Rugby Union.

Muderack’s chief executive believes the six-year package could be signed in the coming days, as significant progress was made last week. However, he said, regions must be careful with the finer details given their historical relationship with the governing body.

Describing the ongoing negotiations, he told BBC Radio Wales: “It’s an hourly activity, day in and day out across all four regions and unions trying to reach an agreement. Last week we had productive full-day sessions in London and Cardiff, where we made some progress on the endpoints; on Friday the regions stopped and returned the full set of qualifications to the WRU.

“There was a lot of good will in the room. So we’re definitely trying to make things happen as quickly as possible. we’re back to it today [Monday]. We may be days away. Nobody tries to complicate the last steps of the process. I am very motivated and full of energy to close the deal.

“Most principles agree. These are quite complex documents, so there are technical points. We have to be aware of the prank points.

“We come from a world where, perhaps, relations between the regions and the union were unreliable. Keep in mind that the contract we’re looking at originated over 12 months ago with different people in the room.

“Then we have to go through the approval process. In the case of the Scarlets, we essentially have 10 benefactors who are willing to take risks for the club for years to come.”

As progress progressed, the Scarlets began to offer players formal contracts.

“We have around 25 players already under contract until next season, and in some cases beyond. We have about 10 people that we’ve offered contracts to in the last week. So we have 10 people, the vast majority of whom don’t, and maybe one or two,” Muderak said.

“I understand the difference is that we are only now able to offer binding legal contracts, but we let our gaming group know before Christmas.

“I’m not saying it’s an ideal situation. The numbers make the future difficult for us and mean that some players will leave Welsh rugby. All we can do as a region is focus on the best result for the club and the players. We want to save as many as possible.”

Given the financial struggles of professional gaming and the significant cuts to gaming budgets for the upcoming season, there is still speculation as to whether the number of regions could be reduced to three or even two.

Commenting on the matter, Muderak said: “You can pay as many regions as you like, just divide the pie accordingly and thus reduce productivity and wages. This is an equation to solve. Numbers are numbers based on four.

“I’m not entirely sure that mergers work in sports. Heritage, history, community, belonging are very important. I’m also not sure the franchise concept is as relevant in rugby.

Muderack continued: “Wales are in a precarious position at the moment. The rugby world too.

“I live in England and you see what is happening here with a combined £300m debt between LRP clubs. Take the fact that Leicester are now demanding £13m with arguably the most supported club in the Premier League. See what happened to Worcester and the Wasps. Rumor has it that other clubs are in a different position.

“The dirty secret of the game is that it has enough money, but it exists internationally. Therefore, a decision must be made about where the club’s professional game fits in the pyramid. I think she plays a crucial role. It’s a bigger problem in the game.”

Source: Wales Online