After missing out on snaring Joseph Suaalii for 2024, Eddie Jones has moved onto his next target to make a cross-code switch, South Sydney Rabbitohs skipper Cameron Murray.
Suaalii activated a clause in his contract by triggering a one-year extension through to the end of 2024, ensuring the Samoan international won't line up for the Wallabies at this year's Rugby World Cup.
The 19-year-old's deal at the Roosters is broken down season by season, giving the outside back leverage to leave at the end of any season if he doesn't activate his clause, which he has until May each year to decide on.
However, with Suaalii off the table, The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Jones has turned his attention to Kangaroos' vice-captain Murray.
The Wallabies coach name-dropped the 25-year-old twice in the last month, though he won't put time and effort into players who aren't interested.
Murray is currently signed through to the end of 2025, leaving Jones with a firm 'hands off' message, but it won't stop the veteran coach planting the seed to try and lure Murray when the Origin star is off-contract, leaving the lock two years to ready himself for a World Cup.
It depends on how Jones approaches the matter, and what benefits he can offer Murray.
While he's come through the grades as a rugby league player, plying his trade for the Mascot Jets, Murray has some union experience at Newington College, and actually turned down captaining the NSW Blues' Under-18s side to play the 15-man code for his school.
Longevity is another factor. Murray has suffered repeated head knocks in the NRL, ruling him out of some big games in recent times. He failed a HIA in the opening five minutes of match twice last year.
It's bound to happen when you're making 50+ tackles per game on the rugby league field.
He'd be making about a fifth of that in union, with inside centres averaging just over 10 tackles a match in the Super Rugby.
It's unlikely that Murray would consider an early release if he was eyeing a switch, however securing an NRL premiership could sway him to jump ship, having already won a World Cup, multiple Origin series and a Dally M Lock of the Year gong.
