Sydney Roosters five-eighth Sandon Smith is reportedly in talks over a move to the North Queensland Cowboys at the end of the year.
The utility who can also play fullback, halfback or hooker in a pinch, has taken over the number six jumper this year for the Roosters, and strung together a number of impressive games, including on Saturday evening against the Cronulla Sharks.
His form, combined with halfback Hugo Savala, who has filled in for the injured Sam Walker since veteran Chad Townsend was dropped back to reserve grade, has the Roosters in contention for the finals and well ahead of where the majority thought the tri-colours would be at this point of the season.
But the Roosters are on the brink of signing Daly Cherry-Evans for 2026 and beyond, and not only will that stretch the salary cap, but it will mean there is no conceivable pathway into first-grade for either Smith or Savala.
Savala can play a host of other positions and still may win a spot, but News Corp are reporting the likely signing of Cherry-Evans has driven Smith to the exit gates at Bondi.
His move to the North Queensland Cowboys would fix a question in the halves for Todd Payten, with Tom Dearden to become the permanent number seven, and Jaxon Purdue likely to shuffle back out to the centres where he and Zac Laybutt could be named on a weekly basis.
The return of Tom Chester from injury next year will throw another spanner in the works for the Cowboys, but Todd Payten will have plenty of depth at his disposal, and a number of options on what his first choice one through seven looks like.
It would however mean Tom Duffy - who has been linked with an immediate move away from the Cowboys - and Jake Clifford would both likely leave the club with no immediate path into first-grade.
The rumour regarding Smith comes with Andrew Johns warning the Roosters on Channel 9 that signing Daly Cherry-Evans will be financially expensive, cost them youngsters, and likely not work all that well with Sam Walker and Cherry-Evans both being first-choice halfbacks, rather than either being a specialist five-eighth.
"The question for me is that you've got Sandon Smith and Hugo Savala, with how well they're playing, you've got Sam Walker coming back - do they want to buy DCE?" Johns said on the Sunday Footy Show.
"They've also got Toby Rodwell, who's in the juniors and by all accounts is shooting the lights out and is 18 months off [playing first grade].
"The question has got to be, do you want to spend upwards of $1 million on DCE for two years? You've got these young blokes.
"They won't stay," Johns said.
"Hugo Savala and Sandon Smith have made their debuts, they are NRL players now. They don't want to go to NSW Cup for two years, they will be moving on.
"I also don't see Sam Walker and DCE being that good a partnership. DCE only plays on the right, you never see him on the left. Sammy Walker is a right-sided player and he's instinctive and just plays and DCE is similar.
"You need a steady hand and to me, Walker and Savala together would really go well."
Cherry-Evans has already confirmed he has been in discussions with the Roosters, while he has also spoken to the Dolphins.
Reports are that the veteran halfback - who will likely sign a two-year deal - wants to remain in Sydney to see out his career.
