Sydney Roosters and NSW Blues winger Mark Nawaqanitawase is set to be handed an unprecedented contract by the NRL and ARLC to allow him to play in the 2026 Rubgy League World Cup.
The move by the 13-man code will raise eyebrows in rugby union, and reignite the code war between the two sports, with Nawaqanitawase's time in the NRL up at the end of 2026.
The winger, who was the NRL's top try-scorer last year and has impressed since joining the tri-colours in late 2025, is heading back to rugby union at the end of this season with a home World Cup on the agenda.
He has signed with Japanese Rugby, but will be part of the Wallabies squad for the World Cup if selected through a system of contracted match payments.
Rugby Australia are expecting him to be available for not just that tournament, but this year's Spring Tour, but as he has not signed a contract with the game's governing body in this country, he has no obligation to be so and instead only needs to shape up in Japan at the start of his contract.
The star winger played State of Origin in Games 2 and 3 of this year's series, and he would be well on the Australian selection radar for a World Cup swan song before he heads back to rugby union.
News Corp are reporting the winger will likely be offered a training contract to extend his tenure beyond the October 31 contract expiration date with the Sydney Roosters.
The World Cup runs to November 15, with Australia likely to feature in the final pending any major shocks, so a two-week period would need to be covered by the NRL.
At the heart of the issue is the fact the Wallabies kick off their spring tour on November 8, and despite playing the sport for a number of years, the winger is expected to be selected if fit.
Nawaqanitawase will ultimately need to make a decision on which side he wants to represent, although the limited amount of games for the Wallabies between now and the World Cup in that sport - his sole reason for departing the NRL just two-and-a-bit years after joining - could lean him towards attempting to impress in that environment.
Kevin Walters has made no secret of the fact he wants to select Nawaqanitawase for the 13-man version of the World Cup this year if available, although there is still plenty of water to flow under that bridge.
What will work in the Roosters' winger's favour is that players making the finals are more likely to be selected than those who aren't, and the Roosters are well on track for a run into and through September.
As it stands, the Roosters are pushing for a spot in the top four.
Speaking on the Inside Ball podcast last week, Walters also indicated Selwyn Cobbo and Jack Bostock are in the mix for selection at the World Cup after their Origin performances.
Xavier Coates will not be available through injury, while Brian To'o represents Samoa, likely leaving Cobbo, Bosock, Nawaqanitawase and Josh Addo-Carr, who didn't play State of Origin but was close and has featured plenty for the Kangaroos before, as the likely options to slot in on the wing once the tournament gets underway in October, with Australia to play their first match against New Zealand at the Sydney Football Stadium.
The new tournament format will see Australia grouped alongside the Kiwis, the Cook Islands and Fiji, with two teams to go through to the semi-finals, while England, Lebanon and Samoa are Group B, and France, Papua New Guinea and Tonga are in Group C.
Those two groups will play their three games against each other, before a combined ladder is developed and the top two teams in each group go through to the semi-finals, which will be played in Newcastle and Sydney on November 7 and 8, with the final in Brisbane on November 15.
