The drums are continuing to beat over Waqa Blake's potential exit from the Parramatta Eels at the end of the 2023 season.
The experienced Fijian hasn't played since Round 5 at the Eels, and his reported $500,000 per season deal is understood to be in significant danger of not being renewed by Brad Arthur's retention and recruitment team and the end of the season.
First reported some weeks ago that Blake could be forced out of Parramatta due to salary cap, the rumours are growing stronger, with Wide World of Sports now suggesting rugby union could come knocking.
Rugby Australia have been on a spree to secure NRL talent ahead of the British and Irish Lions tour in 2025, and the World Cup, to be played on home soil, in 2027.
Thus far, they have only secured Joseph Suaalii on a mega deal, while they are said to be making a similar big-money play for Payne Haas - potentially as much as $1.6 million per year over three years to the end of the World Cup.
Also on rugby's hit list was Blake's teammate Will Penisini, and Melbourne Storm prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona, although the duo have both now re-signed with their current NRL clubs to starve off that threat.
But it may not be the case for Blake, who, according to the report, wants to move to Perth for family reasons. While there is no NRL team in Western Australia, there is a rugby union one.
It's understood rival NRL clubs are keen to secure the 28-year-old's services, but the two-time Fijian representative with 163 NRL games under his belt will be left to weigh up a move between two codes with financial and family reasons on the mind.
Blake grew up in Perth where he played for the Joondalup Giants in the Perth Rugby League competition, then represented the Perth Pirates SG Ball team.
He would ultimately make the move to the Penrith Panthers at the end of 2012, working his way through the junior grades at the foot of the mountains where he made his NRL debut in 2015, eventually shifting to the Eels in the middle of the 2019 season after playing 88 NRL games.
