Melbourne Storm centre Jack Howarth is understood to be on the outer in the Victorian capital.
The 23-year-old rising star was signed to a five-year deal by the Storm before he had debuted at the NRL level, which expires at the end of 2027.
A former junior Origin player and Australian Schoolboy, Howarth has long been regarded as a major part of the Storm's plans, and one of the best juniors in the sport, coming through at either centre or second-row.
His NRL form has been mixed, not aided by injury, but he has shown enough that it was heavily rumoured he was on the cusp of selection for a State of Origin debut by Billy Slater this year.
That ultimately didn't happen, and now News Corp is reporting that he may leave the club before the end of his current contract if he can find a deal.
While Howarth is free to negotiate with rivals from November 1 for the 2028 season and beyond, the report suggests the Storm would be comfortable letting him go a season early if he receives an offer from a rival club.
Several sides, both in Sydney and Brisbane, could show interest in someone of Howarth's talent, with the Mackay-born player predominantly featuring in the centres for the Storm throughout his 45-game career to date, which kicked off in 2023.
Howarth, who also played rugby union as a junior growing up in Brisbane, played his junior rugby league for the Brisbane Tigers, but was never signed by the Broncos, who, funnily enough, could now look at his signature given their shortage in their outside back depth.
The Broncos aren't the only club that would be interested if he goes to market, with Howarth, who won the man of the match award for the Australian Schoolboys against New Zealand in 2019, now unclear on his future.
It's unclear if he is on the radar of rival clubs as the Storm look to shake up its roster.
The Victorian outfit had a disappointing start to 2026, but has slowly turned a corner and is now firmly back in the mix for a spot in the finals.
Given Melbourne is also losing Nick Meaney at the end of this season to the Perth Bears, and winger Will Warbrick to the New Zealand Warriors, some eyebrows could be raised over a potential early departure for Howarth; however, the signing of Jamayne Isaako from the Dolphins will allay some of those fears.
It's understood Melbourne is also interested in Bronson Xerri from the Canterbury Bulldogs, and has told Joe Chan he is free to explore his options elsewhere.
