The St George Illawarra Dragons are set to let Josh Kerr leave the club for the English Super League at the end of 2026 in a move that could free up the cash needed to retain Tyrell Sloan.
Sloan is one of a host of Dragons leaving for the Super League at the end of the campaign which saw the club claim an unwanted first wooden spoon.
Of the nine released Top 30 players, only one - Jaydn Su'A - has an NRL deal, while Nathan Lawson has gone back to rugby union.
Sloan will be joined at the Castleford Tigers by Damien Cook and Mathew Feagai, while, in an indictment on the state of the Dragons rosters, all of Emre Guler (Wakefield), Blake Lawrie (York), Luciano Leilua (Catalans), Hame Sele (club TBC) and Christian Tuipulotu (St Helens) will also make the move to the other side of the world.
But Sloan never wanted to leave, and that is a point that has been made abundantly clear more than once - with more doubt thrown on his move to the English club following the axing of Ryan Carr as head coach.
Carr is a former assistant and interim head coach at the Dragons, with his relationship understood to be a big factor in getting Cook, Feagai and Sloan to agree to the move.
Sloan's form late in the year, and turnaround under new permanent head coach Dean Young is said to have the club interested in exploring ways to retain Sloan too, but the salary cap, despite having roster spots available is too tight.
News Corp are reporting the exit of Kerr could be the way forward for the Dragons if they are to retain Sloan.
It's understood Kerr is deep in talks with a club in the Super League, and is now more likely to make the move for 2027 than not.
The Dragons have signed six players for next year in Scott Drinkwater, Keaon Koloamatangi, Luke Metcalf, Kodi Nikorima, Phillip Sami and Connor Watson, while they have also extended all of their young forwards in Toby and Ryan Couchman, Dylan Egan, Jacob Halangahu, Loko Pasifki Tonga, Hamish Stewart and Jacob Webster.
The moves mean the Dragons have little in the way of salary cap for established first-graders, and will need to round out their squad with depth.
But Kerr's departure would move the needle there.
Kerr had a difficult 2026 campaign.
Making the move from the Dolphins at the end of 2025 where he enjoyed a couple of strong seasons, Kerr managed 19 games for the Red V in 2026.
Of those games, a vast majority came off the bench, and he didn't play more than half an hour on any occasion either under former coach Shane Flanagan, or replacement Dean Young.
The Dragons have him on contract for next year, with the local junior who returned to the club for a second stint lauded as a strong signing at the time of his arrival, but failing to live up to the billing.
It's understood Kerr sees his path to more minutes and role in a club being in the English competition, and will leave the Dragons as a result.
Sloan, for his part, has said he will honour his contract, but there is almost no doubt he would be interested in a backflip with the Dragons if the opportunity arises.
Given his late-season form, and the departure of Christian Tuipulotu, it's almost certain he would hang onto a role on the wing in 2027 alongside the arriving Phillip Sami.
