Sam Verrills has emerged as a potential target for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs after being spotted meeting with general manager Phil Gould during Magic Round in Brisbane.
Verrills is currently on the books of the Gold Coast Titans, but his future at the club appears increasingly uncertain with his contract set to expire at season's end and an extension now considered unlikely.
An image supplied to ESPN shows Verrills in discussion with Gould, now suggesting that the Bulldogs are positioning themselves to make a move for the dummy-half.
The Titans have already begun planning for life without Verrills, with the club opting to prioritise young hooker Oliver Pascoe as their long-term No.9 option.
Verrills was notably omitted from Gold Coast's 22-man squad to face the Newcastle Knights in Brisbane on Sunday, with Pascoe instead named in the starting side.
Interest in Verrills has also stretched beyond the NRL, with Super League clubs monitoring his availability as his contract situation developed in Gold Coast.
The sighting of Gould meeting with Verrills will inevitably draw attention given the Bulldogs' recent history of landing players following similar encounters.
Back in November 2021, Gould was photographed dining with hooker Reed Mahoney prior to Mahoney eventually joining Canterbury.
Across his NRL career, Verrills has amassed 112 first-grade appearances, including 48 games for the Sydney Roosters before his move to the Titans, where he has since added a further 64 matches.
He was part of the Roosters side that claimed the 2019 premiership, starting at hooker in their grand final victory over the Canberra Raiders, cementing his reputation as a big-game performer.
