In the past week, the Wests Tigers have been going on an all-out assault in trying to secure NRL superstar Nathan Cleary in a $9 million package deal which would see his partner Mary Fowler play for the Central Coast Mariners.
The incredible deal has been in negotiations over the past few days, with News Corp revealing the Tigers owners, Holman Barnes, who also own the Mariners, engineered the offer and are very keen to get the deal done.
Both Cleary and Fowler are iconic figures in their own respective codes, with the latter currently carving it up for Manchester City in England.
It would have been a bid to get her back to Australia and closer to Nathan with a combined annual price tag of around $3 million.
Fowler's yearly chunk would have exceeded her current City deal by a fair amount in the ambitious attempt to lure her to the A-League Women competition.
The Matildas star has been with City for the past four years, and recently reached 100 games for the club in September.
Although it's looking extremely likely Cleary will re-sign at the Penrith Panthers as earlier reports emerged of a two-year deal with a further two-year player option, which he is ready to sign.
Cleary is off-contract at the end of the 2027 season, meaning since the end of last week, he has been free to field offers from rival NRL clubs.
The PNG Chiefs have been told by Cleary's management they are not interested in a move to the NRL's latest expansion project, with their attention understood to be turning swiftly to Sam Walker following his contract extension being pulled by the Roosters.
The Tigers have cash to throw at Cleary at the $1.7-$1.8 million mark per season, which could make him the highest earner in the NRL given his glamour status in the game.
Cleary has yet to officially put a red line through the deal as he did with the Chiefs, but given the Panthers have just announced his younger brother Jett returning to the club, it's unlikely of an exit from the foot of the mountains.
