The Sydney Roosters have reportedly slapped a six figure compensation bill on any club if they want to land Jason Ryles as their head coach for the 2024 season.
Ryles is seen as the next head coach in waiting, having served a long apprenticeship under Craig Bellamy at the Melbourne Storm and Trent Robinson at the Sydney Roosters.
That comes after Craig Fitzgibbon and Cameron Ciraldo have gone into head-coaching roles over the past two seasons.
Ryles took Fitzgibbon's job at the Roosters after he left for the Cronulal Sharks, with Ryles on contract at Bondi until at least the end of the 2024 campaign.
The issue of Ryles potentially leaving the Roosters has been evident for sometime now, with the assistant coach earmarked by both the Dragons and Storm.
At the Dragons, Anthony Griffin has been asked to reapply for his job if he wants to remain into 2024, and Ryles is believed to have met with club officials earlier this week.
The Dragons are also believed to be looking at Shane Flanagan, Des Hasler, and another pair of former club players in Dean Young and Ben Hornby as their five options to replace the former Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos' boss next year.
At the Storm, the Victorian-based outfit are waiting for a final decision on Craig Bellamy's future, which it's believed he could make as soon as next week.
Storm chairman Matt Tripp has previously indicated Ryles, Queensland State of Origin coach Billy Slater and current Gold Coast Titans' assistant coach Brett White are the options they will look at, with all three having previously spent time in Melbourne's system.
But a substantial roadblock exists for both teams now, with News Corp reporting the Roosters are going to put a six-figure fee on Ryles' release from the final year of his contract.
Earlier this year, it was suggested that Ryles wouldn't abandon the final year of his deal at Bondi, and if Bellamy continues for another year, he still may not, knowing that job will be virtually open for him in 2025.
That said, Bellamy's decision being made next week will leave Ryles with plenty of time to mull over his options.
The Dragons, as his former club, will be close to Ryles' heart, but whether he will have the patience of Ciraldo and Fitzgibbon who both turned down jobs to accept the job which is best suited to him could also yet come into play.
It's believed the Roosters had no issue with Ryles meeting with the Dragons, and his management will meet with the Storm in the coming days as options land on the table.
While both clubs are understood to have expressed interest in Ryles, the current assistant coach has given no clues on which way he may ultimately go, and neither club have suggested they may be willing to pay a fee for what will be a rookie head coach.
