THE embarrassing farce that was the process of re-contracting Dean Laidley to the Kangaroos will be resolved as early as today after the Roos board last night finally approved a new two-year contract.

The contract offer to the board came after a lengthy meeting between Laidley and AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou yesterday, in which the out-of-contract coach wanted assurances from the league of its commitment to the Roos and its position on the club's future.

Demetriou is understood to have assured him that the AFL was supportive of the Roos and the pair discussed the possible relocation to the Gold Coast at length.

The meeting came about at Laidley's instigation. The AFL is in a rare situation of control with the Roos, given the financial stake it has in the club with significant annual funding. "He wanted to get some comfort about the direction in which his club was heading and he wanted to know where the AFL stood in terms of their support for the Kangaroos," Demetriou said. "It was just a general chat, which we have done several times in the past."

The Kangaroos confirmed the board last night agreed to a contract offer on terms that had been negotiated with Laidley's manager, Ricky Nixon. The club returned a copy of the contract to Nixon last night and it is now expected to be signed before Laidley leaves for holidays at the end of the week.

The contract the board approved was a straight two-year deal not conditional on the club playing finals in order for the second year to be activated, although there are incentives built in.

The contract includes an agreement that the club makes an assurance in the middle of next year of its planned salary-cap spend for 2009. Further in mid-2009, the second and final year of this contract, Laidley wants a clear indication of the club's interest in re-signing him to a new deal to avoid a repeat of this year's messy handling.

Roos chief executive Rick Aylett told The Age this week the club had made a commitment to increase its spending in the salary cap and its resourcing of the football department over the next two years. The Age understands there will be at least another $500,000 spent in the football budget in the next year.

Laidley has fielded offers recently of senior assistant coaching roles at Carlton and at least one interstate club, believed to be the Brisbane Lions, should the contract talks with the Roos falter.

Should the contract be signed, and given the way negotiations have been conducted that is no guarantee, it will end a protracted process that has embarrassed the club and the coach.