The noise, speculation and rumours around the future of star St George Illawarra Dragons half Ben Hunt are unlikely to be going anywhere anytime soon.
The Queensland State of Origin winner - who can play either halfback or hooker - is off-contract at the end of 2023 and reports suggest the Dragons are having plenty of trouble tying him down.
From the idea that Hunt potentially wants a clause added to his contract regarding the future of coach Anthony Griffin, to reports suggesting the Dragons 'lowballed' Hunt with an offer of around $750,000 per season, the Dragons have just over two months remaining until Hunt gains the right to negotiate with any other club in the competition.
That is a scary thought for Dragons fans when they consider exactly how good he has been this year, and how poor the remainder of the team have played around him.
While the Dragons will be desperate to retain Hunt, it's no sure thing, and with clubs already showing interest, Zero Tackle looks at the top five clubs not named the Dragons where he could end up in 2024.
The Bulldogs were linked to Hunt this week, and reports suggest discussions amongst the club board are already quite evolved to bring Hunt to the club.
Canterbury have hit reset already, but are still a few pieces short of being a properly competitive team, as can be easily ascertained by the way they have played this season.
Things have certainly improved under Michael Potter, and could continue to do so under Cameron Ciraldo, but the club need a few more odds and ends to be tied up.
One of those will be improved when Reed Mahoney arrives at the club in 2023, and they will continue to work on the future contract of Matt Burton in the background, with the star half holding a player option for 2024, meaning he can also negotiate from November 1.
A player like Hunt joining the club could be the perfect foil for Burton, while also bringing a sense of experience and composure to a club who are still very rough around the edges.
Not only that, but the Bulldogs have some inconsistent heavy hitters in their ranks, and a player like Hunt could well and truly bring it all together.
Salary cap space is certainly a question, but if the money is there then they must make a play.
2024 is the year the Tigers simply must push the reset button and become a competitive outfit once again.
Failure to do it correctly could see them remaining languishing down at the bottom of the table for the foreseeable future. It's that important.
All of Luke Brooks, Jackson Hastings and Adam Doueihi will come off-contract at the same time, and while this writer is of the clear opinion that Jock Madden should be the future of the number seven jersey for the joint venture, it's also fairly unconvincing that is even close to how the Tigers' brass see it.
Madden could be out the door from Concord by the start of the 2023 season, so taking into account that isn't how the Tigers see it, and that Jackson Hastings will continue transforming into a lock forward, then Ben Hunt could be the answer.
The club have already been linked to Cameron Munster, who is also off-contract at the end of the 2023 season, but if they miss the Storm star, Hunt could be the answer.
In much the same way that Mitchell Pearce joined the club in the twilight of his career to bring experience and composure to the Knights, Ben Hunt could be a realistic option for the 2024 season.
It should be noted that the Knights are in the process of working on a more immediate solution for 2023. That is, bringing Tyson Gamble to the club from the Brisbane Broncos, and attempting to convince the Tigers to hand an early release to Luke Brooks.
But taking that Brooks fails, and Gamble ends up at the club, the Knights could still be on the lookout for a game-breaker come the 2024 season, and that could well be Ben Hunt.
Whether he takes the punt and moves to the Hunter remains to be seen should the Knights make a play, but a combination of Hunt and Kalyn Ponga could be a sight for sore eyes for the club with one of the NRL's most passionate fan bases.
Hunt would bring a controlled kicking game to the Knights and, provided they could pair him with a strong five-eighth, could take them to a level in attack that they haven't been anywhere near in the last 24 months.
The Titans are rumoured to be in the hunt for Hunt, and that shouldn't come as a surprise.
Heading into the 2022 season, coach Justin Holbrook made plenty of big calls around the make-up and composition of his side.
He went with an inexperienced spine, and elected to move AJ Brimson to play out of position at five-eighth while Jayden Campbell would take over the number one.
The experiment has been a dismal failure, while Campbell and Toby Sexton haven't hit the levels they were supposed to.
Kieran Foran and Sam Verrills will arrive next year, but with Foran likely to wear the number six, it still doesn't address the halfback issue.
Tanah Boyd has been strong in recent weeks, but if a player like Hunt wants to move back to Queensland, then the Titans should be throwing the kitchen sink and then some at him.
All the talk is that the Dolphins are going to land Cameron Munster for the 2024 season, with the star Melbourne five-eighth reportedly wanting to stay in Melbourne, but not for what he is currently being offered.
That's hardly a surprise given the Victorian-based club have already re-signed Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant on long-term deals.
The money left in the cap just isn't enough to entice Munster into staying when reports suggest the Dolphins are throwing over $1 million per season his way.
That leaves the Dolphins as the front-runner for Munster's services.
Should they land Munster though, a halves combination of Hunt and Munster must be enticing to the club, who could dominate on the back of it.
Money and how much salary cap space to spend on halves could be an issue, but there is no question the club have plenty of cash lying around with some of the bargain buys they have made thus far.
This is no sure thing, but what is sure is Hunt's relationship with Bennett, and the fact the pair would likely turn the Dolphins into a powerhouse.
Verdict
In all likelihood, the Dragons still seem a strong chance of retaining Hunt and have the inside running for another two months.
Once that time expires though, the odds on Hunt leaving the Red V will increase in a big way, and the Dolphins or Titans would likely become the favourites simply thanks to their geographic location.
Still, the Knights and ability to lead that team out of the doldrums is an enticing opportunity.
In truth though, it'll either be the Dragons or Dolphins for Hunt in 2024.