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.
6. Parramatta Eels
The Eels are frankly a little rudderless at hooker, and with Joey Lussick off-contract at the end of 2025, and Brendan Hands a year later, it could be the ideal opportunity for the Eels to shake things up.
Whether Smith is the sort of player they want remains to be seen, but Jason Ryles has shown no hesitation in getting aggressive on the transfer market since he was confirmed as the man to take over from Brad Arthur.
Whether that came in the form of the play for Josh Addo-Carr, or Bulldogs youngster Joash Papalii, he has worked hard to shape the squad he wants.
The Eels simply haven't been the same at the number nine since the departure of Reed Mahoney, and it's a position they need to fill.
A risk on Smith could be the way to go.
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.