Cronulla Sharks second-rower Briton Nikora has landed on the radar of the PNG Chiefs as he negotiates his future.
Nikora is one of three big-name Sharks off-contract at the end of 2027, and now able to negotiate with rivals.
Fullback William Kennedy and second-row partner Teig Wilton are the other two.
As it stands, the trio are all testing their value, with Wilton viewed as the most likely to remain at the Sharks.
Kennedy has been signing one-year deals in recent years and could look for more job security and certainty, while Nikora's status is somewhat unclear at Cronulla, given the state of the club's salary cap.
Nikora's form was viewed as good enough to land a Queensland State of Origin debut this year, but the Sharks are still undecided on what to do with his contract moving forward.
News Corp are now reporting they may be running out of time to make that decision, though, with the PNG Chiefs set to come to the table with a tax-free offer for the star forward.
One of the NRL's most consistent players, Nikora has managed more than 20 games in every year of his first-grade career with the exception of the COVID-hit 2020 campaign.
The Chiefs have a pressing need to sign forwards, and have identified Nikora as their second-row option to start alongside Hudson Young in 2028.
The Queensland and New Zealand representative has 180 games under his belt, and wouldn't cost quite as much as Young, who won't be registered to the salary cap of the Chiefs for less than a million dollars per year.
Nikora is far more likely to be in the $600,000 to $700,000 bracket, and with the Chiefs now needing to carefully manage a salary cap that has been bloated in the backline by the signings of Jarome Luai, Brian To'o, Joseph Manu and Zac Lomax, it's a move that makes sense.
The Chiefs still need to secure a halfback, a hooker, and a forward pack for their inaugural season, but have already spent over $4 million - about a third of their salary cap.
