NRL CEO Todd Greenberg has confirmed the 2018 finals series will not be impacted by the investigation into Cronulla’s salary cap dealings.

Greenberg fronted media on Wednesday and revealed the period of investigation goes back “a number of years”.

The implication is they may have been over the cap in 2016 when they beat Melbourne in the grand final to win the premiership.

But he said the Sharks are “significantly under” the salary cap for the 2018 season, meaning they are free to compete in the upcoming finals series.

He said they are as much as half a million dollars under the cap for this year.

“On the information available to us, every club including the Sharks, are cap compliant for 2018,” Greenberg said.

“In fact, the Sharks are significantly under the salary cap for this year and will remain so for the finals series

“So the 2018 finals series will not be affected by this investigation.”

Greenberg said the NRL can’t put a timeframe on the investigation and he is unsure how long it will take to complete.

He also confirmed all other 15 clubs are cap compliant for the current season.

Greenberg did reveal the extent of the salary cap breaches are less severe than those of other clubs previously uncovered, such as Melbourne and Parramatta.

“On the matters before me as they currently sit, this is not on the scale of previous salary cap investigations of clubs on like Manly, Parramatta or further back at the Storm,” Greenberg said.

“The work we’re doing goes back historically to a number of years, not for a huge period of time.

“Shorter than five years.”

He would not speculate on possible sanctions handed down for the Sharks’ alleged cheating.