New Zealand All Blacks flyer Caleb Clarke has left the door open for a potential cross-code switch to the NRL despite signing a new contract with the 15-man code.
Revealing his dream to play in the NRL one day at the end of last year, Clarke won't be able to switch codes until the end of next season, having agreed to a one-year contract extension to the end of 2025 to remain at rugby union.
However, after inking a new deal with New Zealand Rugby and The Blues, he confirmed that "it would be pretty cool" to follow in the footsteps of Carter Gordon and Mark Nawaqanitawase and switch to the 13-man game.
Still only 25, the one-year extension allows Clarke to keep his options open for the future.
“It depends, but I am really just looking at rugby and focusing on that at the moment,” Clarke said via Planet Rugby.
“It would be pretty cool, but again it is just all rugby for me.
"As much as I did love my time at the Rabbitohs, that is still something I haven't really looked at. I am just really focused on the rugby.”
Training alongside the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the off-season, Clarke has been a mainstay of The Blues in the Super Rugby competition and the All Blacks in the international arena.
Having played over 20 matches for New Zealand, the winger has been a star in the 15-man code since he was a junior and would be a much bigger coup than either Gordon or Nawaqanitawase.
“If there's an option down the line for him to come over to rugby league, there's no doubt we'd be sitting at the table, for sure," former Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou has previously said on Clarke.
“He was really polite and engaging, and slotted in seamlessly to be fair.
"It was set up today to be attack-focused, and he defended well in the system. He also jumped in and did some reps with the ‘red side' [the more experienced players].
“He clearly reads space really well. It was just great to have him in here.”
