Despite being contracted with the Dolphins until at least the end of the 2025 NRL season, consistent dummy half Jeremy Marshall-King has been linked with a surprise switch away from the club.
Fox Sports are reporting the South Sydney Rabbitohs may be keen to have a crack at Marshall-King should he still remain off-contract on November 1.
While the Rabbitohs have Damien Cook - a former New South Wales State of Origin hooker on contract until at least the end of 2025 - it's understood they will not offer him a new deal beyond the end of that as Bennett and the club's recruitment staff look to re-invigorate an ageing and struggling roster.
Cook may not hang up the boots, but it would mean he has to finish his career away from Redfern.
Journalist James Hooper said Marshall-King could fill the void at Redfern.
“The name I keep hearing is Jeremy Marshall King and that's where it'll get interesting if Cook does move on,” Hooper said on NRL 360.
“And I think if Cook is to move on, there's no question, there would be at least five other clubs in the NRL that would love to have somebody like Damien Cook.
“So he just goes and does a 12-month cameo there, then ends up coming back to the Souths and working in the football department, play on.”
What any potential play for Marshall-King means for Cook's current understudy and the widely thought of as next in line for South Sydney's number nine jersey Peter Mamouzelos remains to be seen.
The news comes with his current Dolphins' coach Wayne Bennett set to sign with the South Sydney Rabbitohs on what is believed to be a three-year, three-million dollar deal any day now.
Marshall-King's game has come on in leaps and bounds under Bennett's tutelage in recent times since leaving the Bulldogs as something of a stop-gap option to play in the number nine jersey.
The New Zealander is brothers with Benji Marshall.
Marshall-King would not be free to negotiate with rival clubs if he wanted to until at least November 1 for the 2026 season.