Off-contract Sydney Roosters utility Drew Hutchison has been linked with a surprise switch to the Canterbury Bulldogs for the 2024 NRL season.
Hutchison, who has played 71 of his 75 first-grade games since joining the Roosters in the 2019 season, had made his debut for the St George Illawarra Dragons prior to that in 2015.
An important cog in Trent Robinson's side over the last three seasons has seen Hutchison become a mainstay on the bench, or, where required, in the starting side across a number of positions including centre, the halves, and hooker.
Channel 9's Danny Weidler is reporting that Hutchison is now expected to make a switch to cross-town rivals the Canterbury Bulldogs however.
The move will see Hutchison don the blue and white in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and would also see him become the third utility the Bulldogs have signed for next year.
Cameron Ciraldo's side have already added fullback and half Blake Taaffe from the South Sydney Rabbitohs and half and forward Jaeman Salmon from the Penrith Panthers for the 2024 campaign.
Those signings are in addition to Stephen Crichton and Bronson Xerri, who will arrive at Belmore to add more strength to a backline which has often been well short of the mark required in 2023.
The noise around Hutchison follows director of football Phil Gould suggesting earlier this week that the Bulldogs would be able to confirm a number of new signings for next year in the coming fortnight.
The Bulldogs finished the 2023 season in 15th place, marking no real improvement from the previous season with Cameron Ciraldo's first in charge going pear-shaped.