The NRL's worst-kept secret may be set for confirmation in the coming weeks, with the Canberra Raiders finally able to put a formal contract offer on the table for Ethan Sanders.
The youngster, who is rated as one of the best young halfbacks in the game, played for the New South Wales under-19 side last year, but strangely hasn't been called into the Parramatta Eels' NRL side this season.
That's despite Mitchell Moses being out with a long-term injury and the blue and gold struggling for form, with Brad Arthur blasting his side following their latest loss to the Dolphins as a "part time footy side."
Speculation has been rampant that the reason Parramatta won't pick Sanders is because, as soon as he was allowed (April 15 is the new date for contracts to be offered to rookies by rival clubs under current NRL collective bargaining agreement rules), he would sign with the Canberra Raiders for next year.
The Raiders' fight for Sanders is not a secret, with the club openly pursuring the young halfback, who ran for 79 metres and scored a try in last year's under-19 Origin game, as well as kicking for 329 metres, while he has also scored two tries, assisted another three and ran for 64 metres per game across his six performances in the NSW Cup this year.
The Eels have always suggested they want to kep Sanders, but it seems more and more unlikely, with The Sydney Morning Herald reporting a deal is now on the table.
It's understood the deal is a long-term one that could tie him down in the nation's capital until as far away as 2027, with the young halfback seen as the long-term replacement for Jamal Fogarty, where he would likely form a new partnership with Ethan Strange, who has started the season and his career fantastically in replacing Jack Wighton, who left for the South Sydney Rabbitohs during the off-season.
There is no immediate guarantee of first grade in Canberra for Sanders though, who may have to wait until Fogarty is finished given the veteran's form to start 2024.
Fogarty, who has turned 30, is contracted until 2026 with Canberra, although the last year of that deal is a club option in Canberra's favour.