Jared Waerea-Hargreaves may be available to play Round 1 next season for the Sydney Roosters despite still having four matches of his ban to serve.
While the NRL are yet to confirm the request from the Roosters, on backing of a letter from the New Zealand Rugby League who confirmed he would have been selected if not suspended, it's believed the request will be approved by the NRL.
Of the seven-match ban, Waerea-Hargreaves served three of the games for the Roosters, who made the semi-finals, and if the Kiwis make the final of the Pacific Cup that gets underway this weekend, then would have another three matches shaved off.
The Sydney Morning Herald are now also reporting that the Roosters will lodge an application for the pre-season traditional representative fixture between the Maori All Stars and Indigenous All Stars that will be played in New Zealand for the first time next year.
If that all happens, then Waerea-Hargreaves would be available for Round 1 of the 2024 NRL season - likely to be his final campaign before retirement.
The firebrand prop has played 298 NRL games, and would be able to play number 299 in Las Vegas against the Brisbane Broncos, before returning for his milestone 300th game in Australia.
The publication are also reporting that Sebastian Kris, who was part of the Rugby League World Cup squad for the Kiwis last year, has had two and possibly three matches shaved off his five-match ban picked up in the final match of Canberra's season against the Newcastle Knights.
That has the Roosters believing Waerea-Hargreaves' application for a suspension to be used during the Pacific Championships will be approved.
Australian Rugby League Comission chairman Peter V'Landys said the controversial rule won't be going anywhere.
“If it was me, and I was a player, the ultimate honour would be to wear the green and gold of my country, but if I was suspended and missed that opportunity, that's a pretty big penalty,” V'landys told the publication.
“Missing a Test is probably a bigger penalty than missing an NRL game. You also miss out on match payments as well.
“If people wanted to abuse the rule, we'd have to look at it. But there are no plans to change it. We can only hope nations are genuine when it comes to selecting players who would have been selected.”
The Kiwis open their Pacific Cup against Samoa in Auckland next weekend.