Former Wallaby Quade Cooper has indicated Reece Walsh and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow as two NRL targets he would like to secure for flag football's maiden appearance at the Olympic Games.
Flag football, which is being introduced for the 2028 Olympic Games being held in Los Angeles, is a non-contact version of gridiron, one of that nation's most popular sports.
Australia will need to qualify for the Olympics themselves, but Cooper, speaking to Code Sports, said he wants to attract NRL players to be part of the campaign.
"You look at the guys like Reece Walsh, like the Hammer (Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow), the way they move, the way they're able to accelerate, how dynamic they are, how smooth and skilful they are," Cooper told the publication.
"These are guys who play on both sides of the ball, able to transition into a game like this, it's like you're attacking, but then you also have to defend.
"It's not a contact game, but just the awareness to be able to know how someone moves, be able to defend them.
"I think those sorts of guys are perfect for flag football."
How it would work with their NRL contracts remains to be seen, and given the Olympics will be held in the middle of the 2028 NRL season, the move seems all the more unlikely, but it would be a chance for players to represent their country at the Games, ahead of Brisbane hosting the Olympics in 2032.
Cricket has already been locked in for both 2028 and 2032, while rugby league are attempting to have the Nines version of the sport become a demonstration sport for the 2032 Games.
Flag Football and cricket will be joined by lacrosse and squash for the first time in the Olympics, while baseball and softball will also make their returns.
