The Canberra Raiders have reportedly rejected a request by Jamal Fogarty and his management to test the open market immediately.
Fogarty's situation at the Raiders is one of the more intriguing anywhere in the NRL as 2025 rolls on.
After being involved in a shock departure from the Gold Coast Titans in 2021, he joined the Raiders, and while injuries have hampered his progress, he has been the walk-up starter when fit.
But that could be about to change in 2025 with the arrival of boom youngster Ethan Sanders from the Parramatta Eels.
The former junior New South Wales representative certainly hasn't left Parramatta to play reserve grade, that much is for sure, and it's a view Fogarty seems to share.
Despite being expected to start the year in the number seven, he has asked to be allowed to test the open market immediately per a News Corp report.
His mutual option in his contract, per the report, suggests the Raiders have until Round 6 to take it up or inform Fogarty he won't be needed in 2026, and it appears the club will not let him test the market until that time.
If the club do not take up the option, then Fogarty has until a much later time during the season to elect to remain with the Raiders on a reduced salary for 2026 and beyond.
Asking for a release before the Raiders have made a call on his future though would indicate Fogarty is unlikely to take up the player portion of his option should he be able to take it later in the year though.
"Jamal would love to stay with the Raiders," his manager Tas Bartlett told the publication in the report.
"However, rugby league is ultimately a business, and things don't always go the way we hope. Quality halfbacks are rare in the game, and experience is what sets the best apart.
"If the club chooses not to activate his option, I have no doubt Jamal will attract significant interest from elsewhere."
It's an open market that is skinny when it comes to halves too, and could make a player with the experience of Fogarty a hot commodity should he test his value, with clubs knowing they would receive a serviceable player without breaking the bank.
As it stands, the top halves off-contract at the end of the year are Te Maire Martin, Adam Doueihi, Cody Walker, Daly Cherry-Evans, Adam Reynolds, Toby Sexton and Drew Hutchison, indicating just how tight the market is for halves.
Most clubs are set heading into 2026 with players signed but there will undoubtedly be some around the competition looking for upgrades, and Fogarty could prove to be just that should he head for the exits in Canberra as the Green Machine turns to a new long-term combination of Ethan Strange and Ethan Sanders.
