Melbourne Storm forward Shawn Blore is finally back fit and firing after a horror run with injuries, named to start by coach Craig Bellamy in his third hit out of 2026 against the Dolphins.
After two runs off the bench in the last two weeks, Blore is likely to play big minutes on Friday evening and begin to put himself back in the shop window of Sydney-based clubs for 2027.
It emerged in December last year that Blore wanted to go back to Sydney at the end of his deal with the Storm, which expires this year.
He has been able to negotiate since November 1, and while there has been little in the way of noise, there might be once he gets back onto the field in a big capacity for a Storm side desperate for a turnaround.
His role this year will only increase given the game's best second-rower Eliesa Katoa is sidelined with career-threatening brain injuries sustained playing for Tonga at the 2025 Pacific Championships.
Blore's form was mainly overlooked in 2025 given Katoa's excellent performances, but there is little doubt how important he was in the club's charge to the grand final.
If the rumours do turn out true and he wants to come back to Sydney, here are the clubs who will be in the mix for his signature.
3. Cronulla Sharks
The Sharks are an intriguing situation.
After signing zero players to their Top 30 this year, they have a host of players coming off-contract at the end of 2026, and that means there could be a refresh of the squad in order.
The issue with that refresh for Craig Fitzgibbon and his recruitment staff is that money still isn't going to be readily available, given their big-money deals for the likes of Nicho Hynes and Addin Fonua-Blake are already outlaid.
While Billy Burns, Teig Wilton and Briton Nikora are all contracted on the Sire for 2027, there has been talk around Nikora's role, and whether the second-row isn't actually the best spot for him anymore.
While it clearly is for Teig Wilton, and Billy Burns has been more than serviceable, the signing of Blore without breaking the bank could allow Fitzgibbon to play Nikora in other roles, add versatility to his matchday squad as a result, and bring in a dynamic player who adds plenty to a slow Cronulla forward pack.
