Parramatta Eels five-eighth Dylan Brown will field offers for 2026 and beyond as he contemplates his future.
It's a major blow for the blue and gold, with their strategy of contract options yet again backfiring.
Brown will make a call on whether he is remaining with the Eels or not for the first of two player options included in his deal until the end of 2031 by the end of Round 10, but in the meantime, there will be plenty of conjecture following the New Zealand international around.
It's the last thing rookie coach Jason Ryles needs as he looks to turn Brad Arthur's old team into a finals team after they slumped to the wrong end of the table last year.
Described by his agent as a 'franchise player' in an email to all 16 other clubs, there will be plenty at least weighing up their options when it comes to making a play for Brown ahead of the 2026 campaign.
Here is where each rival NRL club is likely to sit in the chase for Brown.
12. Wests Tigers
This is one that could change rapidly if Jarome Luai or other youngsters were to elect to move on from the club, but for the time being, the Tigers have little to no need to go and chase Dylan Brown.
Luai is the key recruit ahead of 2025, but will slot into the number seven jersey, leaving a fight between the kids for the number six jumper.
The issue there of course is that Lachlan Galvin has been reported to want to make his exit from Concord, and there is some conjecture about exactly how Latu Fainu might settle into the number six on a full-time basis if he is given the jersey.
Brown probably comes too early for the Tigers to seriously consider making a play unless a number of dominoes fall over - and not in the way the Tigers want - in terms of their own roster in the coming months.
