South Sydney Rabbitohs' star lock forward Cameron Murray is on a Rugby Australia hitlist of NRL players who could be targeted for a future move to the 15-man game, and now he has admitted he has contemplated the switch.
Murray has fast become one of the NRL's best players at just 25 years of age, with the ball-playing lock also lining up on the edge for New South Wales and Australia in a true tip of the hat to his versatility.
Noted for one of the game's quickest play the balls and most dominant tackling styles, the lock forward is one of the key catalyst's behind South Sydney's attack and has 125 NRL games to his name.
But Murray has a background in rugby union - he captained Newington's first 15 in his final year of school while also turning down the captaincy of the New South Wales under-18 State of Origin side.
But he would ultimately end up in the Rabbitohs' system where he has been ever since - that doesn't mean Murray hasn't contemplated a switch back to union though.
"Yeah, I contemplate and consider it long-term, but that's as much energy as I give it, so it's all hypothetical's right now," Murray told 9 News.
The 25-year-old, who is part of South Sydney's leadership group that also features experienced stalwarts Cody Walker and Damien Cook, said he doesn't have any intentions of going anywhere anytime soon though.
"As far as I'm concerned, my loyalty is with my next three years at the club while I'm contracted here, and that's where my focus and energy is," Murray said.
South Sydney have made five straight preliminary finals during five of the first six years in Murray's career, but playing in a single grand final and not winning a premiership has been a driving factor for all of Walker, Cook and star fullback Latrell Mitchell to recently re-sign at Redfern.
Murray will commence his 2023 campaign with a clash against the Cronulla Sharks - the same side the Rabbitohs knocked out of the semi-finals last year.
