Sydney Roosters second rower Angus Crichton could reportedly leave the club if he can confirm a deal with rugby union.
News broke over the weekend that Crichton had bee in discussions with Rugby Australia and could be set to request a release from the final year of his contract with the club.
The Roosters have Crichton contracted until the end of the 2024 campaign, and had reportedly been in the process of working through an extension before the news regarding his surprise link with rugby broke.
Crichton has previously played the sport, representing the Australian Schoolboys while he was growing up before finally electing to focus on rugby league, where he made his NRL debut with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, then eventually made the switch to the Sydney Roosters.
It's reported by The Sydney Morning Herald that no formal offer has yet been received from Rugby Australia by Crichton's management, but that if one comes, the Roosters may be willing to release the forward.
It's also believed a number of NRL clubs have reached out to Crichton's management to ascertain interest in a move elsewhere for the final season of his $700,000 per year contract, but the Roosters have blocked that, saying they won't help improve another club.
It means Crichton, who missed the 2023 pre-season and start of the NRL season through mental health reasons before returning, will either be playing for the Roosters, or in the 15-man code next year.
The forward has struggled to live up to his usual lofty expectations this year, and it may come as little surprise that the tri-colours would consider a release if they can free up salary cap space and bring their own young talent into first-grade quickly, with Siua Wong in particular having a breakout performance for the club during Saturday's elimination final against the Cronulla Sharks.
Crichton's name has previously been on a hit list of NRL stars the 15-man code are attempting to secure prior to the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour and 2027 World Cup to be hosted down under. Already rugby union have missed out on the likes of Will Penisini, Cameron Murray, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Payne Haas, who have all re-signed with their current NRL clubs.
It's believed if Crichton remains with the Roosters past 2024 he would need to take a pay cut, although nothing will be considered by the forward until the end of the Roosters' season.
