Preparing to enter the open market on November 1, a frontrunner has reportedly emerged to secure the services of Newcastle Knights and New Zealand Kiwis front-rower Leo Thompson.
Thompson, one of Newcastle's best this season, has been a bright light for them ever since his club debut in 2022 and has shown that he is set to become one of the competition's best forwards in the coming years.
Over the past few seasons, his great form also saw him called up to the New Zealand Kiwis for last year's end-of-year Pacific Championships, where they defeated Australia in the Final.
Only on a reported salary of $350,000 per season, the front-rower is set to be handed a massive payday with his next contract, but his destination beyond 2025 has yet to be confirmed.
As multiple clubs, such as the Canberra Raiders, continue to monitor Thompson's status, the Canterbury Bulldogs have emerged as the leading frontrunner for his signature, per Wide World of Sports.
The Bulldogs have been on the lookout for a strong, powerful forward for quite some time and have been linked to a host of other players, including Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Stefano Utoikamanu in the past.
They also have a ton of free space in their salary cap following the departures of Luke Thompson, Jake Averillo, Paul Alamoti, Matt Dufty, Jeremy Marshall-King, Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Tevita Pangai Junior over the course of the past few seasons.
Thompson's situation regarding his future at the Knights is set to get even more complicated next season, as his brother Tyrone Thompson will join the club on a development contract for the 2025 NRL season.
The 24-year-old has been linked with a cross-code switch to rugby league ever since November last year when ARLC Chairman Peter V'landys announced that NRL teams would be given dispensation to their salary cap to attract talent from the 15-man code.
The Chiefs forward earned himself representative honours after touring with the All Blacks and Maori All Blacks in 2022. He has also played for Wellington, Hawke's Bay, and the Chiefs.