The Newcastle Knights and Canterbury Bulldogs have been revealed as the two newest clubs interested in a high-stakes battle for Parramatta Eels' forward Ryan Matterson.
It has been previously reported that the Parramatta Eels will reverse an earlier decision to not offer Matterson a contract, while the Dolphins are also interested in throwing big money the star forward's way.
His run of form through the first half of the 2022 season has left him on the cusp of selection in Brad Fittler's New South Wales Blues squad for Game 1 of the State of Origin series, to be played on Wednesday, June 8 in Sydney.
A switch to the middle third has left Matterson as the most important bench player in the competition, regularly churning out around 60 unchanged minutes for Parramatta after he introduced by coach Brad Arthur.
It has left the Eels scrambling to sign the off-contract forward, who has had a history of concussions and was previously believed to be on the outer of Parramatta's stretched salary cap.
However, with the club losing Marata Niukore, Ray Stone, Isaiah Papali'i, Reed Mahoney and Oregon Kaufusi, the situation has changed at the club.
The Dolphins interest has come as no surprise given their shortage of players, and need for a suitable lock forward to start in their inaugural season.
The Daily Telegraph are reporting though that the four-way race will now see the Knights and Bulldogs involved.
The Knights have struggled to find a suitable lock forward this year following the departure of Connor Watson to the Sydney Roosters, however, could yet move Matterson to an edge should he change to the Hunter.
The club will lose Mitch Barnett at the end of the season, and Matterson would form a damaging second-row combination with potential New South Wales Blues teammate Tyson Frizell.
At the Bulldogs, Tevita Pangai Junior will be joined by Viliame Kikau at the beginning of the 2023 season, and with Josh Jackson also at the club, it's unclear at this stage how Matterson would slot in, although he could play a similar role to the one he plays at Parramatta from the bench.
Matterson has given no indication he is close to a decision on his contract, although recently stated he wasn't in a rush, and was letting his management deal with all interested parties.
