Wests Tigers outside back Jeral Skelton is understood to be gaining plenty of interest from around the competition as a departure from his current outfit grows more likely.
Skelton is off-contract at the end of this season, and is yet to be offered a new deal by the Tigers.
Maybe that doesn't come as a surprise given the Tigers abysmal fade out this season. That has hardly been the outside back's fault, but the Tigers are again looking to restructure their squad.
In a year that started strongly before fading out, coach Benji Marshall will now enter 2027 under plenty of pressure, and the signing of Jake Averillo will add more questions around the security of Skelton to win a spot in the side.
ESPN are reporting multiple rival clubs are beginning to poke around the prospect of Skelton changing colours for 2027, although it's unclear at this stage if any are close to doing a deal.
Skelton, who moved from rugby union to rugby league at the start of 2023, played eight games for the Bulldogs across two seasons before shifting to the Wests Tigers, where he has played another 27.
Noted for his powerful running game, Skelton has started in 10 of his 12 appearances this year on the wing, with the other 2 coming from the bench.
In those games, he is averaging 148 metres per game and has broken 38 tackles, while also scoring 7 tries - numbers that can't be sneezed at in a side who have struggled to score points.
Skelton's form has been particularly impressive since his Round 25 recall against the Sydney Roosters, with the 27-year-old scoring three tries in his last two games and running for 152 and 130 metres respectively, while he also came up with a quartet of tackle busts last time out against the Cowboys.
There are plenty of clubs with roster spots remaining available heading into 2027, and many will be keen on outside backs, so Skelton could well pick up a contract with a rival club.
The Tigers are expected to have Jake Averillo and Sunia Turuva, as well as fullback Jahream Bula, as part of their first-choice back five next year, while the other spots are up in the air.
