With November 1 now less than two months away, NRL clubs will be scrambling to get their best players locked away before they hit the open market and fetch interest from elsewhere.

On this week's episode of the NRL Contract Show, Zero Tackle editor Scott Pryde listed seven key retention targets across the competition who could be in demand if they remain unsigned by November 1.

Stefano Utoikamanu

Pryde: "Right now [Melbourne's] biggest issue is in the forwards. They just don't have the depth and quality that they've had in previous years. The one bright spot has been Stefano Utoikamanu, he's really taken his game to another level. He's off-contract at the end of 2027, and I assume there'll be clubs in Sydney interested in bringing him back."