South Sydney Rabbitohs dummy half Brandon Smith has revealed his former Melbourne Storm teammate Tino Fa'asuamaleaui could be heading back to the Victorian capital.
The duo were teammates in Melbourne at the start of the now Gold Coast Titans' captain's career before he left for his new club in 2021.
Fa'asuamaleaui has gone on to become one of the best forwards in the game, already notching up 108 NRL games and 15 State of Origin appearances to go with a Test for Samoa, and another 6 for Australia.
The Orange-born star is seemingly more and more likely by the day to leave the Titans at the end of next year, though.
His management has already indicated he will test the open market from November 1, with Fa'ausamaleaui's ten-year deal at the Titans broken up by player options that start in 2027.
The Perth Bears, St George Illawarra Dragons and Canterbury Bulldogs are the three clubs that have been linked with the nearly two-metre-tall middle forward to date.
Speaking on The Bye Round Podcast, Brandon Smith, who himself has had a tough year on the injury front before being shipped to the South Sydney Rabbitohs out of the Sydney Roosters, revealed he has heard a little whisper about Fa'asuamaleaui heading back to the Victorian capital.
"I heard a little whisper," Smith said on the show. "I heard something about Melbourne."
Smith also seemed to play into the idea that middle forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona could be given an early release from the club.
The New Zealander is currently outside the best 17 in Craig Bellamy's set-up, and while he is contracted through to the end of 2027 with an option for 2028, there has talk he could be given an early release to try his hand in the new Saudi Arabian-backed rugby union competition that could see players earn up to $2 million per year.
"Nelson's contract's coming up. That's all I'm saying, and he is on big money," Smith added.
Former English international James Graham said Fa'asuamaleaui's decision could come down to whether he wants to win or stay on big money.
Fa'asuamaleaui is rumoured to be on approximately $1.2 million per year at the Gold Coast, and that alone could be a roadblock for the Storm if they were to make a play for the forward.
"For Tino and what he is dealing with at the Titans, he obviously doesn't like this situation," Graham said.
"If he goes to Perth, you have to assume they are a work in progress.
"If he goes to the Dragons, they aren't screaming finals, although they are improving and they are achieving enough results. They aren't that far away, and maybe Tino could be that person, but I think they need some more creativity in their halves.
"But if Tino maybe just thinks I want to win, then it's less about the money and more about the destination."
Fa'ausamaleaui last negotiated his contract on the arrival of Des Hasler to the Titans, and it was believed then that the Storm had made a major play to bring him back to the Victorian capital without success.
