Sam Verrills might be the starting hooker at the Sydney Roosters in 2022, but there is no guarantee that will be the arrangement when Brandon Smith arrives from the Melbourne Storm in 2023.
Verrills, who did a sparkling job replacing deputizing for Jake Friend early in his career, is now the number one option to wear the number nine in Trent Robinson's team following the veteran's retirement.
But the signing of Smith puts that back into doubt.
Verrills is contracted at the Roosters until the end of the 2024 season, but with a lack of genuinely high-quality starting hookers around the competition, the fight for his services should he request a release from the tri-colours could be high.
His manager Steve Gillis told The Daily Telegraph that there was no contact with rival clubs as yet, although it has previously been reported that both the Parramatta Eels and Dolphins could chase him.
The interest from the Roosters was triggered following the decision from Reed Mahoney to depart for the Canterbury Bulldogs, although the signing of Josh Hodgson has now likely seen that interest wane.
“His job is to do as well as he can pre-season, trial well, make the team and play well, everything else will fall into place,” Gillis told the publication.
“There is no time frame.
“Things change. We can’t say for certain what will happen next year. So there is no point us worrying about it. He has just got to do his job.”
When quizzed on whether other clubs had been contacted though, Gillish quickly shut it down.
“I haven’t even looked at them,” Gillis stressed.
“His focus is to get into that team and play well and everything else will sort itself out.”
Verrills has played 33 NRL games, 14 of which came last season.