Jarome Luai is the first official player for the Papua New Guinea Chiefs, and Alex Johnston seemed to confirm his own signing news this week, giving the NRL's 19th franchise a chance to hit the ground running.

The club have been widely panned as a bad idea, but two signings - a four-time premiership-winner and the game's greatest ever try-scorer - 18 months before they will meet for their first official training session in Port Moresby, rapidly legitimises the project.

While they will be unable to speak to other players out of contract until November 1, it means they will be able to hit the ground running on that date with the idea of immediate success and tax free money as their major selling points.

» EXPLAINER: Why the Chiefs could sign Luai and Johnston before November 1

But attention will now turn to who comes next - and there could be a long list of Luai and Johnston's former or current teammates who are interested in linking up with the duo and building what could be rugby league's toughest project in Papua New Guinea.

Here are eight potential targets for the NRL's 19th club, all off-contract at the end of 2027.

4. Matt Burton (Canterbury Bulldogs)

Burton is a player who is never out of the headlines when it comes to his future, both at and away from the Bulldogs.

While the club has made no indication they are weighing up an early release, where there is smoke, there is fire, and seemingly, the chance of him getting a new deal is remote.

The five-eighth can play other positions including in the centres, and given his halves partner would be Luai, that's likely what would happen if he made the switch north.

But it seems almost a sure thing the Bulldogs won't offer him a new deal given Lachlan Galvin and Mitchell Woods' respective status within the footy club.