National Rugby League (NRL) players and their agents are now required to sign statutory declarations pledging their contracts comply with salary cap regulations.
The NRL has introduced the measure in a bid to prevent a repeat of the Melbourne Storm's cap breaches - a rort that did not culminate in individual sanctions against players or their representatives.
In future, players will risk criminal charges if their contracts are found to be in breach of the cap.
"We decided to look into this a few months ago, when we were looking at a whole raft of changes to the salary cap," NRL chief executive Gallop told The Daily Telegraph newspaper.
"After the Melbourne Storm situation there was a clear need for greater accountability for the individuals who are involved in bargaining for a contract.
"This is not a change in the rules, because there's still a requirement that all remuneration is declared in the contract -- but it is a further check and balance on the present system," Gallop said.
Until the new measure was introduced the NRL only required statutory declarations to be signed by club chairmen and chief executives for biannual salary cap audits.
Chief executives now must sign the statutory declarations for each individual contract with the players and agents.
Rugby League Players Association boss David Garnsey was disappointed the new demand was brought in without consultation.
"There appears to have been some shifting of the burden on to the players and that doesn't seem reasonable to me."
Gallop said if players or agents were not prepared to sign a statutory declaration "then there's an inference that you've got something to hide".
Brisbane-bound Kangaroos centre Greg Inglis -- one of 13 current and former players whose contracts contributed to the Storm's illegalities -- will be among the first player to sign a statutory declaration following his two-season, $A1 million ($NZ1.23m) move to the Broncos.
