The Penrith Panthers will be in the market - whether internally or externally - for a new five-eighth from the start of the 2025 season.
The rugby league world doesn't reward those who sit on their hands and wait though, with the open market for those players - as Jarome Luai was - off-contract at the end of 2024 already well and truly alive and kicking.
Luai, who has signed with the Tigers, will fill a giant hole at Concord, but leaves one at Penrith.
He might be one of the most maligned players in the competition, regularly criticised for his antics both on and off the field, but he has been the number six in three back-to-back premierships, and has been excellent in all of them at various points.
Penrith's record when Nathan Cleary has been injured has been phenomenal really, and that in itself shuts down any of the talk levelled at Luai that he simply isn't on the same standard.
At club level, he is a fantastic player, and someone Penrith clearly wanted to retain given their offer towards him, even though it was never going to be able to match what the Wests Tigers had laid on the table.
What Penrith do next could help shape their future, but it's a decision which will have a number of factors to it, the biggest being money. With Luai disappearing, there is not a chance in the world Penrith will want to pay through the nose to sign anybody in his position now.
Add to that, they will be joining an elite system which has a habit of making players look better than they are, and the questions over whether they will look externally or internally for a replacement will rise.
There are options on both sides of the coin though, so here are the seven best options available in no particular order.
5. Tyson Gamble
If the Panthers do look outside the club, then they could potentially do a lot worse than looking to acquire the signature of off-contract Newcastle Knights five-eighhth Tyson Gamble.
The former Bronco was solid enough in his first season as a Knight, and ticks a lot of boxes that the Panthers would ultimately have on their checklist. He has size, strength, runs the ball well and defends solidly for a half.
If the Panthers head into the 2025 campaign unsure of their options, Gamble is also someone they could use in other roles, namely as a bench utility. He certainly has the ability to spend time at either dummy half or lock if the situation arises.
That makes him a signable player, and he does seem like a player who, in a good system under good coaching, would improve dramatically.
