Gehamat Shibasaki's time at the Brisbane Broncos appears all but over.
The Courier Mail reported on Saturday morning that the newest NRL expansion side, the Perth Bears, has tabled a lucrative offer to prise the Queensland Origin centre away from Red Hill.
The Perth Bears, under the stewardship of rugby league Immortal Mal Meninga, have put forward a two-year deal worth $1 million to secure the 27-year-old for their foundation season.
Discussions are continuing to add a third year to the deal.
It is understood that three NRL clubs are interested in his services, but Perth's offer is the most appealing.
Shibasaki began 2025 on a train-and-trial deal with Brisbane before working his way into the starting side, helping his side win the Grand Final, helping the QLD Maroons win the series and being part of the Australian side that defeated England in the Ashes.
His salary was reported to be league minimum with the Broncos, as he is currently off-contract for 2027.
The Broncos have made an offer to Shibasaki, but the centre declined, wanting to test his value in the market instead.
Brisbane's salary cap situation has been complicated by big-money commitments to Mitch Barnett, Patrick Carrigan, Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam and Kotoni Staggs.
On the Perth side, the timing could hardly be better.
The NRL has granted the Bears up to $500,000 in salary cap concessions to help them compete in the recruitment market, with existing sponsors also permitted to top up player contracts through third-party agreements by up to 20%.
The Bears recently surpassed 20,000 foundation members, with 85% of those sales coming from Western Australia, pointing to enormous grassroots enthusiasm for the venture ahead of 2027.
Despite his 2025 performances, his 2026 performances have been inconsistent, drawing criticism from coach Michael Maguire regarding his defence.
He was also demoted to the bench earlier this year.
For Perth, he will bolster their backline and could provide extra spark with the ball in hand.
