As he prepares to enter the open market on November 1, Newcastle Knights international Leo Thompson has already caught the attention of two NRL teams and is likely to catch more traction in the coming months.
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.
While it is well known that the Knights are desperate to retain his services, he has been weighing up his options and is alarmed at the club's clean-out of senior players, with Jayden Brailey and others likely to follow Daniel Saifiti out the door.
Speaking on SEN 1170 NRL Crunch Time, The Sydney Morning Herald's Adrian Proszenko revealed that the Canberra Raiders are having a look at and showing an interest in Thompson as he will be free to speak with rival teams from November 1.
A potential move to the Canberra Raiders would see him return to the club where he played in the Jersey Flegg Cup for the 2020 and 2021 seasons before switching to the Knights.
This comes after News Corp's David Riccio explained on last week's Triple M's Monday Scrum that Thompson is on the Canterbury Bulldogs radar as they also monitor the situation of former NRL front-rower Siosiua Taukeiaho.
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.
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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.
