The Penrith Panthers and Canberra Raiders are trying to lure away young promising playmaker Ethan Sanders away from the Parramatta Eels.
Regarded as one of the best young playmakers coming through the ranks, Sanders has been likened to former Melbourne Storm halfback Cooper Cronk.
He also showed his skill and worth, earning Player of the Match honours in the SG Ball Final earlier this season.
Mulling offers, News Corp has revealed that Sanders has spoken to the Panthers and Raiders club officials and could be looking to make a switch.
While the Eels aim to keep the youngster, Dylan Brown and Mitchell Moses halt his path towards the first-grade team.
The two halves have recently signed multimillion-dollar contract extensions to keep them at the club until 2027 (Moses) and 2031 (Brown), despite Brown being sidelined due to the game's no-fault stand-down policy.
The Penrith Panthers currently have NSW Blues stars Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary as their halves pairing, but the former is off-contract at the end of next season.ย
While Cleary is locked up to a long-term deal, Luai could decide to join a new club, providing Sanders with a starting role in the team as a contingency plan.
The other club interested in Ethan Sanders are the Canberra Raiders.
The Raiders will lose Jack Wighton to the Rabbitohs next season and are on the lookout for a new playmaker. The signing of Sanders would fill the void to perfection and see him team up with Jamal Fogarty in the halves.
However, despite interest from both the Raiders and Panthers, the Eels are aware of Sanders's situation and are eager to sign him to a multi-year contract to keep him at the club.
