Players off-contract at the end of 2022 have been able to negotiate for three months as we hit the end of January, and already plenty of big names have re-signed or moved clubs.
The Dolphins have thrown a new air of intrigue over this yearโs off-contract player list, with the expansion club adding six players to their top 30 roster for 2023, including five with first-grade experience.
The Melbourne Storm have been hit hard, losing Jesse Bromwich and Felise Kaufusi to the new club, while Brandon Smith was the most publicised signature of the off-season so far before agreeing to join with the Sydney Roosters for 2023.
Itโs been a revolving door at dummy half, with Reed Mahoney going from the Eels to the Bulldogs, Josh Hodgson from the Raiders to the Eels, and Apisai Koroisau from the Panthers to the Tigers.
Junior Paulo and Clinton Gutherson agreed to remain with the Eels after plenty of speculation, but as it stands, there are still over 100 players without a home locked away for 2023.
Today, we build a 17-man team of those players, noting that we have only considered each player for one position.
FULL OFF-CONTRACT LIST FOR 2023 TEAM-BY-TEAM
5. Props
Players still off-contract:
Daniel Alvaro, Eddie Blacker, Morgan Boyle, Matthew Eisenhuth, Herman Ese'ese, Poasa Faamausili, Sione Fainu, Andrew Fifita, Wiremu Greig, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Royce Hunt, Ryan James, Rhys Kennedy, Blake Lawrie, Jordan McLean, Thomas Mikaele, Jirah Momoisea, Franklin Pele, Emry Pere, Pasami Saulo, Lindsay Smith, Daniel Suluka-Fifita, Ryan Sutton, James Tamou, Siosiua Taukeiaho, Martin Taupau, Aiden Tolman, Paul Vaughan, Jarrod Wallace
There are still some big-name props remaining off-contract for 2023, and there could still be some substantial movement between clubs as a result.
Experience in the front-row tends to be a key to success whichever way you cut it, and with players like Martin Taupau, Paul Vaughan, Jarrod Wallace, Siosiua Taukeiaho, Ryan Sutton, James Tamou and Andrew Fifita still off-contract, there is plenty of that.
Players like Blake Lawrie and Ryan James could also command attention, while Jordan McLean on a reduced salary could also be intriguing to follow.
The likes of Sione Fainu, Eddie Blacker, Lindsay Smith and Daniel Suluka-Fifita are all either awaiting a debut or very early in their first-grade careers and could well command plenty of attention in the coming weeks and months as contracts continue to be sorted out for the 2023 season.
It's hard to go past the two biggest names here though in Taupau and Taukeiaho, who will both command serious coin heading into 2023.
Paul Vaughan and Jarrod Wallace are the next two on the list, with Vaughan heading to the Bulldogs to revive his career, and Wallace improving majorly during 2021 at the Titans.
