Adam Doueihi may not have request his release from the Wests Tigers yet, but it would hardly be a surprise if it came over the next few weeks.
The halfback and utility option is sitting out this weekend's match against the Canberra Raiders after being told by Benji Marshall he wouldn't be running out in the number seven, with the club instead preferring to hand a debut to Javon Andrews.
The move came as a shock, but Doueihi's decision to sit out the match was a bigger one.
The star is contracted through to the end of 2029 after putting pen to paper on an extension earlier this year, and while he has obvious talent, his injury history and the way the club have stuck by him through long stints on the sideline mean this is all getting very ugly and very quickly.
It's hard though, given the events of this week, to see Doueihi suiting up for the Concord-based joint-venture next year at this stage.
The club clearly see Latu Fainu and Andrews as the way forward. The duo are prodigiously talented, and even with Jarome Luai leaving the club at the end of the year, Jock Madden is also in the system ensuring there are options.
Jamie Humphreys is also back on the open market and could become a candidate to replace Doueihi at Concord if he does put in a request to leave the club.
Assuming that may happen, here are the clubs he could play for in 2027.
5. North Queensland Cowboys
The Cowboys are the outsiders on this list when it comes to making a play for Doueihi, but they might still show a little bit of interest.
It's clear Doueihi wants to play halfback, but he can also line up at five-eighth or in the centres.
The Tigers utility would make an exceptional halves pairing with Tom Dearden, and while Jake Clifford is re-signed to the club, Todd Payten is clearly still not sold on him.
Clifford was axed to the bench last week with the reason dished up regarding Clifford's mental state, but there is certainly a world where Doueihi, with his talent, heads north and joins Dearden.
Given the club have lost Tom Duffy to the Broncos, and Jaxon Purdue will play either fullback or centre, depth in the halves does look a little skinny.
