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Courier Mail - Representing Queensland was all Daniel Sleeman ever dreamed of, but now one game off the bench for the Maroons under-17s in 2007 and a bureaucratic bun-fight threaten to stall his rugby league career.

The promising back-rower has just completed a pre-season campaign with Gold Coast Titans under-20s squad after seeking a release from a previous deal with Canberra, which was signed through Queensland Cup affiliate Souths Logan.

Signed to a minimal contract, Sleeman, 18, simply wants the chance to show he is good enough to crack it at the elite level.

But after the Titans were slugged with an $8250 development fee by the Queensland Rugby League, the club says it has no choice but to release the Toowoomba teenager.

"I was really looking forward to the season," a devastated Sleeman said yesterday.

"I haven't got any harsh feelings toward the Titans, because they were doing me a favour.

"I asked for a release from Canberra because I wanted to live in Queensland and the Gold Coast gave me the chance on a small contract to come and train with them and hopefully break into their squad.

"Now the QRL has hit them with this development fee and they don't have it in their budget.

"I'm not a star player or anything, but I was hoping just to try to get a few games. I really don't know what I'm going to do now.

"Playing for Queensland was the highest achievement I've had, but it's disappointing that game is almost working against me."

Queensland Rugby League managing director Ross Livermore yesterday defended the development fee system that involves NRL clubs paying a sign-on fee to the QRL when they register a Queensland junior on an NRL contract.

If the player then makes the NRL, clubs are liable for a second payment.

"The development fee system has been in place for a number of years and all NRL clubs have agreed to it and support it," Livermore said.

"It is a good system that stops clubs stockpiling kids and it also ensures some money goes back to the regions and clubs that have nurtured them. The Titans are well aware of it.

"It's their call if they want to register a player. If they do, then they pay the fee. I would have thought if they were signing a player they would check those sorts of things out well in advance."

The Titans declined to comment on the matter.