An NRL club has pulled out of the race to sign Brisbane Broncos playmaker Jock Madden after he was granted permission to speak with rival teams.
Told that he is free to leave if he finds a new home elsewhere, Madden's imminent departure comes as the Broncos look to free up some space in their salary cap after offering big-money contracts to the likes of Ben Hunt, Brendan Piakura, Ezra Mam and Reece Walsh.
This comes as multiple stars such as Blake Mozer, Kotoni Staggs, and Selwyn Cobbo will be off-contract at the end of next season, and they look to keep as many stars on their roster as possible.
The interesting revelation comes as he remains contracted with the Broncos to the end of the 2026 NRL season but has found himself down the pecking order due to the arrival of Origin and international representative Ben Hunt.
One could argue that teenage sensation Coby Black and reserve-grade veteran Josh Rogers may also be above him in the pecking order.
After being linked with a potential move to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, The Daily Telegraph has since reported that he will no longer be switching states and moving to the Red and Green.
This comes as the Rabbitohs have shifted their attention to Wests Tigers playmaker Jayden Sullivan.
According to the publication, Sullivan underwent a medical assessment on Friday, and the club is willing to sign him up for a significantly reduced salary.
It is understood that the Wests Tigers are willing to offer him $900,000 to leave the club to free up a spot in their Top 30 as they continue to rebuild their roster.
This would see the club contribute $300,000 a season for the remainder of his contract.
Only 23, rumours emerged throughout the year that CEO Shane Richardson was trying to offload him out of the club, along with other players.
Signing with the club last season on a four-year contract worth around $2.4 million, Sullivan spent most of this season in the NSW Cup and was overlooked in favour of young guns Lachlan Galvin and Latu Fainu.
The 23-year-old will have an ever harder time attempting to slot a regular spot in the team next season with the arrival of four-time premiership winner Jarome Luai from the Penrith Panthers.
