Brandon Smith's days as a Sydney Roosters player are numbered.
That is the clear knock-on effect of the club announcing the signing of Reece Robson on a mega four-year deal this week.
His departure from the North Queensland Cowboys came as something of a surprise, but the lure of returning to Sydney to play for one of the competition's glamour clubs - likely for more money than the Cowboys were offering - was simply too good to refuse.
And what it means is that 2025 will be Brandon Smith's last season at the tri-colours.
Off-season at the end of the campaign, and aiming to return from an ACL injury during the first half of it, the timing realistically couldn't be worse for Smith, who will go into a contract year unable to play any rugby league.
That, after two seasons at the Roosters, where he hasn't lived up to the level he was expected to after being signed from the Melbourne Storm.
But there are plenty of clubs who need a dummy half, and for his faults, Smith did show enough, particularly in the second half of 2024, to suggest he can, in fact, cut it as a dummy half in the NRL.
So, here are five clubs who will want to make a play for the off-contract Rooster.
4. Manly Sea Eagles
The Manly Sea Eagles have spoken at times about their desire to add another dummy-half option alongside Lachlan Croker.
They are starting to do just that now through Gordon Chan Kum Tong, and also signed Jamie Humphreys from the South Sydney Rabbitohs ahead of 2025, but that doesn't mean things are totally settled.
What has become clear is that Croker, who missed a chunk of the 2024 season with injury, needs more support in the number nine from players who are ready to go at NRL standard today.
Smith may not start at Manly, but he would be able to play a mix of hooker and lock, and work alongside some of the NRL's most involved players, including Tom Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans, which could well be a catalyst to take his game to the next level.
Ultimately, more than simply being a starting hooker, that is what Smith needs in his next contract.
Canberra is too cold. Parra is too far west. The Gold Coast has an attractive climate and a decent cityscape. The club finished fifth on the table in 2024.
If the Roosters are prepared to throw in half of what they will have to pay Brandon Smith just to keep him playing NSW Cup when he returns from injury, then this could be a match made in heaven.
No….. that’s rubbish isn’t it ? I’m confusing Gold Coast and North Queensland.
Hmmm. Perhaps Brandon won’t be going to the Goldie, after all :=)
Not everyone loves sunny townsville. Super league. Surely.