Penrith Panthers' Stephen Crichton is reportedly set to be chased by the Dolphins, who are desperately attempting to land players for their inaugural season.
Crichton is on contract with the Penrith Panthers until the end of the 2023 season, and so the Dolphins would need to secure a release for the star centre - who could be in line for a State of Origin debut to replace Latrell Mitchell in the coming weeks - if they were to have him for their inguaural season.
The Daily Telegraph are reporting that Crichton will be chased hard by the Dolphins for 2024, with a difference of up to $250,000 per year set to emerge between the two contracts.
It's understood Penrith would only be able to pay around $600,000 per year for the gun centre, who also has the potential to play in other positions, while the Dolphins could increase their offer to around $850,000 per year.
That doesn't mean Crichton will favour departing the club, and the Western Weekender's Peter Lang tweeted on Tuesday evening that the rumours are "speculation and nothing more."
Neither club have passed comment on the rumours linking Crichton with a move to the Dolphins for 2024, with the Redcliffe-based operation announcing a handful more signings for 2023 in the past few days - including Connely Lemuelu on Wednesday morning from the North Queensland Cowboys, joining teammate Tom Gilbert who has made the shift south in the last week.
Crichton has previously stated that he doesn't want to leave Penrith, however a source told the Telegraph that joining the Dolphins will be a realistic option.
The Dolphins currently have 12 top 30 signings for the 2022 season, with the club desperate to add more talent and inquiries continuing around the probability of an early release for Cameron Munster.