Penrith Panthers hooker Mitch Kenny is set to snub the chance to move at the end of 2027 and re-sign with the club long-term.
The dummy half is one of a host of players off-contract at the end of next year as the club at the foot of the mountains faces one of the bigger salary cap squeezes in recent times.
Kenny was earlier this year reported to have interest in leaving the Panthers for the PNG Chiefs when they enter the competition at the start of 2028.
The dummy half is a solid performer for Penrith, consistent as it comes, and has been widely earmarked as a potential future captain of the side.
The PNG Chiefs would also likely have no issue making Kenny an offer given the struggle for top-tier dummy halves in the game - it's an area the Perth Bears have struggled with enormously ahead of their entry into the competition at the start of the 2027 campaign.
News Corp is now reporting though that Kenny will re-sign with the Panthers, and become the first of a number of players off-contract to tie down their future.
The contract extension, should it be signed, will mean he doesn't arrive at the November 1 free agency deadline with a host of his teammates who will all be able to begin negotiating their futures away from the club on that date.
Among the players off-contract is Moses Leota, who already has permission to negotiate elsewhere from the Panthers as he attempts to ascertain his market value.
Alongside Leota and Kenny, the likes of Paul Alamoti, Nathan Cleary, Sione Fonua, Liam Martin, Isaiah Papali'i, Luron Patea, Billy Scott, Blaize Talagi, Brian To'o and Isaah Yeo are also off-contract.
To'o is the most likely to leave, with Zero Tackle revealing in mid-May that the Panthers are already resigned to losing To'o.
At the top of Penrith's likely priority list is Cleary and Yeo, but both players have indicated they will test free agency, with the Panthers' dynasty at risk of unravelling as they attempt to move money around and retain as many stars as possible.
At the centre of their issues is the fact the Chiefs - who have already signed Jarome Luai, Alex Johnston, Connor Watson and English prop Matty Lees for their inaugural season - and the Bears are entering the competition over the next two seasons with plenty of cash to burn.
Exactly what Penrith's squad looks like long-term is up in the air, but there is a feeling around the game that it will not be the same as the 2027 version under what will then be a new head coach in Peter Wallace, who takes over from Ivan Cleary.
