November 1 is just days away, and while all attention will turn towards those players who can officially sign with new clubs for the 2024 season, there are still a handful of players without a deal for 2023.
Among those players are a small list of players who the majority would view as something of a surprise to still not have a contract locked up for next season.
RELATED: Full list of off-contract players
Only the Canberra Raiders, Gold Coast Titans and St George Illawarra Dragons have zero players remaining off-contract, although some players - such as Cooper Johns at the Melbourne Storm and Albert Kelly at the Brisbane Broncos - have been informed their services won't be required from 2022.
One of those players also features on this list, while the remainder are still fighting for their NRL futures.
Here are the top five players still off-contract for 2023 noting that, with November almost upon us and clubs required to have filled most of their roster in just a few short days, most talent has now been snapped up.
3. Wade Graham (Cronulla Sharks)
The Cronulla Sharks are a club who could have had plenty of big decisions to make this off-season. Craig Fitzgibbon had two of them taken out of his hands by the twin retirements of Aiden Tolman and Andrew Fifita, who have both been immense for the club.
But the issue of Wade Graham, one of the most experienced Sharks of all-time, still stands.
On one foot, the Sharks would like the 32-year-old who has played 231 games for the club since switching from the Penrith Panthers in 2011 to go out on his own terms.
A captain of the club, Graham has struggled enormously with injury over the past couple of seasons and that will be weighing heavily on the mind of Fitzgibbon and his recruitment staff.
As will the fact that Teig Wilton and Briton Nikora continue to go from strength to strength in the black, white and blue.
It seems clear that Graham won't play for a different NRL club, so it's the Sharks or bust, but whether he gets a new deal or not is anyone's guess.
