Penrith second-rower Kurt Capewell has been linked to a move north of the Tweed that would see the Maroons forward join the Broncos from the 2022 season.
As reported by The Courier Mail, Capewell has held discussions with Brisbane in the past few months in regards to a possible venture to Red Hill.
The Panthers are tipped to be facing a tight salary budget given the recent re-signings of Jarome Luai, Stephen Crichton and Isaah Yeo.
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Capewell has been a formidable recruit for the Panthers since joining from Cronulla ahead of the 2020 season, going on to star in his debut Origin series last year for Queensland.
The 27-year-old could look to land a deal with the Broncos that would pocket him north of $450,000-per-season, with his agent Clinton Schifcofske revealing there has been a great level of interest for his client.
“Kurt has a bit of interest from a few clubs and we are working through things now,” Schifcofske told News Corp.
“We have assured Penrith we will go back to them before we do anything.
“A return to Queensland definitely appeals to him. He will weigh up all options and see what’s on the table.
“The Broncos showed some interest in the pre-season. We met with them but unfortunately the deal wasn’t the right deal at the time. Kurt backed himself to start the season well and that’s exactly what he has done off the back of Origin.
“I’m hopeful the Broncos will come back to us. He would be perfect for the Broncos, he is exactly what they need, an edge back-rower who is versatile and a leader.
“The Broncos have a lot of young forwards so to have an experienced leader who has played Origin and is a Queensland kid, it would be a good fit for the club.
“Penrith want to keep him but Kurt isn’t going to get what he is worth. They have to spend a fair bit of their cap to keep (Jarome) Luai, (Stephen) Crichton, Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin, so there mightn’t be much left over for Kurt.”
Capewell has started all five matches for the Panthers so far this season in their impressive undefeated run and is sure to gain interest from several NRL rivals following a stellar past 18 months, despite playing just nine league games last year.
The backrower has played 78 NRL matches after making his debut with the Sharks in 2016.
The Panthers will come up against the Broncos on Thursday night, with Penrith looking to further extend their dominance over the league with a fancied 6-0 start.
