Not sure what our cap situation is like moving forward but this is the only play I can think of. Identify 5 quality players being underutilized at their current club. Invite them all to dinner/drinks. Tell them that you know that the club isn't attractive for one player but if we can recruit 4 or 5 of you to the club together we will be a whole new team. Give them each an envelope with their offer. Offer a little overs to each of them. Tell them the offer is firm as we can't increase one without decreasing another. Leave the dinner with an open bar tab and hope they bond and want to join together.How in hell do you attract even mid range players when the team is absolutely busted. You can offer inflated overs but even that is unlikely to work.
The pathways is the only road but will take time and we still need some quality to mentor them. The short term is pretty bleak and long term it’s hard to be optimistic.
The whole distribution of talent needs to be addressed but of course we are talking NRL who will not upset the power brokers of the game.
Beyond something like that I can't see why any one player would be interested.