New Dragons recruitment guru Peter Mulholland has denied he was brought to the club to sort out a salary cap mess.

In a series of wide-ranging interviews, Mulholland said the Dragons had tabled Trent Merrin the biggest offer for a forward in the club’s history, confirmed its interest in jailed former Warriors enforcer Russell Packer and hinted at further forays into the recruitment market in 2015.

Mulholland conceded that the club had faced some salary cap difficulties but described reports that the club was as much as $600,000 over the cap as overblown.

‘‘There was never a mess at the club,’’ Mulholland said.

‘‘The salary cap is a fluid beast and it’s changing the whole way through.

‘‘The club’s salary cap position is pretty good. At different clubs, and I’ve been to quite a few, when a change of coach comes in the there’s a change of structure that he wants and there’s a change to the type player that he wants.

‘‘It’s well documented that we had a player that wanted to be released and then backflipped on it which caused a few little issues but nothing was insurmountable. It’s just a matter of good solid management which this club has and I think the issue was blown out of all proportion.

‘‘In so far as the club was concerned there are challenges you face every season and I don’t think anything was ever a mess.’’

NRL journeymen George Rose, Kris Keating, Heath L’Estrange and Dane Nielsen have been brought to the club prior to Christmas and Mulholland said he would keep a keen eye on players who become available during the 2015 season.

‘‘Our 2015 recruitment  never finishes,’’ Mulholland said.

‘‘The club’s made great acquisitions mid-season in the last couple of years with Josh Dugan and Benji Marshall.

‘‘There’s players that will fall out of the tree at some different stage of the year and we’ve got to be ready for that. That’s where our salary cap management is very important to take those opportunities when they arise.

‘‘If any player that fits Mary’s mould does come up for grabs I’m quite sure we’ll be in there having a look at it.’’

Mulholland said the club had made re-signing Merrin a top priority.

‘‘We’ve got an offer on the table and it’s the best offer the Dragons have ever made a forward,’’ he said.

‘‘It would make him one of the highest paid middle players in the game.

‘‘We’re just waiting for him to come back to us, hopefully prior to Christmas.’’

Mulholland confirmed the club’s intent to sign Packer but said the 25-year-old’s future remains in the hands of the NRL.

‘‘We’d be very interested in Russell Packer but it’s the NRL’s hands whether he becomes available as a player,’’ Mulholland said.

‘‘If he becomes available we’d love to have a look at [signing] him.’’