Billy Walters is understood to have agreed to a new two-year deal with the Brisbane Broncos that will pose significant questions around the club's roster balance and number nine jumper.
The dummy half has only recently returned from an ACL injury suffered during last year's qualifying final victory over the Canberra Raiders, and has been in talks over his future for much of the year.
Walters being off-contract came at the same time as both Cory Paix and Ben Hunt, while the club also have Blake Mozer and Cameron Bukowski on their roster.
The son of former Broncos head coach Kevin Walters agreeing to a new deal per a News Corp report means all three of the off-contract brigade have re-signed, leaving the club with five options in the halves for next year.
Both Walters and Hunt can play in the halves, but are unlikely to feature regularly there. Despite the retirement of Adam Reynolds, the club will welcome Jonah Pezet next year, who himself will be in a scrap for the number seven jersey with Tom Duffy who has had a breakout year after his move from the North Queensland Cowboys.
Ezra Mam will be the certain starting five-eighth for under pressure coach Michael Maguire, who has overseen a dramatic fadeout from his side this year to go from premiers to likely not making the finals.
Walters was the guaranteed starting dummy half prior to his ACL injury last year, and it's understood his re-signing, as well as the recent moves to lock down Hunt and Paix have left Mozer questioning his future.
Injuries have held back the former junior Origin star, who at one point in his development was labelled the next Cameron Smith.
While he has spent plenty of time sidelined, he has also struggled to get into the first-grade side when fit, playing just a handful of games.
While the Broncos are understood to have told Mozer they still want him, and currently have him contracted until the end of 2028, there is a world where he begins to agitate for a release from the remainder of his playing contract if he doesn't find more opportunities next year.
That would likely ramp up if fellow young gun Bukowski jumps him in the pecking order.
There are no claims Mozer has already made that push, but dummy half is a position with a shortage across the game, as the expansion teams are currently finding out, and Mozer could be a target for many clubs if he was to leave Red Hill.
