After missing out on the signature of Josh Addo-Carr from the Melbourne Storm, it appears the West Tigers have identified another target - South Sydney's James Roberts - who was released from the Rabbitohs at season's end on compassionate grounds.
The Sydney Morning Heraldย confirmed the interest from the Tigers, with photos emerging of the former NSW player with Tigers officials at a Concord cafe, likely discussing the possibility of him joining the club as a free agent.
Addo-Carr was set to move to the Tigers on a four-year deal if the Melbourne Storm could find a suitable replacement for him, but the Storm have been unable to do that and the NSW star will now honour the final year of his contract for 2021.
The Tigers haven't ruled out a move for the star winger in 2022, though.
The Rabbitohs currently have a fair bit of depth in the outside backs department, with Latrell Mitchell and Braidon Burns on the roster, along with Dane Gagai, Campbell Graham, Alex Johnston, Corey Allan, Jaxson Paulo and Steven Marsters also providing talent across the board.
Roberts has only played the 18 games in two years in his second stint with the Rabbitohs andย did not feature for the Rabbitohs after their round six loss to Newcastle, with injuries and off-field issues a problem for him.
Roberts earned a Dally M Centre of the Year honour in 2015 and is one of the most exciting players when he's playing his best football, but just hasn't been able to recapture his best in recent times.
The COVID lockdown played a major part in the struggles that Roberts faced in 2020, which led to him going into rehabilitation for anxiety and depression.
Being away from teammates and the structure football provided was also an issue for Roberts at the time, but he believes he is now ready to get back to his best should another opportunity arise.
The Tigers are looking for a spark in the backline and Roberts could be the man for the job if he is able to recapture his best form.
The 27-year-old has scored 74 tries in 149 NRL games since making his debut in 2011.
Penrith playmaker Matt Burton is another name that has popped up for the Tigers as a potential target, with Canterbury and Melbourne also in the running for his services.
