A frontrunner has reportedly emerged for the signature of NSW Blues and Parramatta Eels front-rower Reagan Campbell-Gillard as his exit from the Western Sydney club nears.
Confirmed to be taking over interim coach Trent Barrett next season, Jason Ryles is looking to guide the Eels to the finals for the first time since 2022, when they competed against the Penrith Panthers in the Grand Final.
As Ryles looks to rebuild the roster, Campbell-Gillard has reportedly been granted permission to leave the club at the end of the season despite being contracted until the end of the 2025 NRL season.
A NSW Blues representative, the front-rower is contracted on a deal worth approximately $750,000 per season, and his exit would allow the Eels to free up some much-needed room in their salary cap for next year and beyond.
Already attracting the interest of the North Queensland Cowboys and St George Illawarra Dragons, another team has their sights set on him.
As reported by News Corp, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have entered the mix for the Origin forward's services, but their interest is only preliminary at this stage.
This coincides with the publication reporting that the North Queensland Cowboys are the surprising frontrunners for his signature and he is open to moving to Townsville.
Although the Cowboys are seen as the frontrunners, Dragons coach Shane Flanagan has stated that his number-one priority at the moment is signing the forward to the club.
“It's (front-row salary cap space) something that we've got one spot available, so we'll look at it,” Flanagan told News Corp.
“But once again, you can probably see from our last two previous signings that we need to make sure that we get them right.
“I'd like to think we have and we'll continue to do so.”
The Dragons have made the key acquisitions of Cowboys outside back Valentine Holmes and Rabbitohs hooker Damien Cook for 2025 as Flanagan's rebuild of the club takes full shape.
The Dragons' rebuild has been leaps and bounds ahead of expectations this season, with the club on track to play finals rugby league this season after their win over the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday afternoon in Wollongong.