Bronson Xerri's name has lived in the headlines in recent days following his axing and apparent release request from the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Dropped from Canterbury's 22-man squad for their Round 3 clash with the Canberra Raiders, the star centre has had everything from being unhappy with a switch of sides, to unhappy with a demotion to the NSW Cup levelled against him.
The Bulldogs, through ever-talkative director of football Phil Gould, have claimed Xerri hasn't asked for a release, but where there is smoke, there is generally fire.
It's understood plenty of clubs have already made inquiries with his management. It's not every day that a centre of his calibre comes up as a potential to leave their current club, if not immediately, then certainly at the end of the season.
Of course, his contract running to the end of 2027 with the Belmore-based outfit means there is no guarantee he is available at the end of this season.
With that in mind, we have looked at the most likely landing spots for Xerri, with some being more immediate than others.
3. Melbourne Storm
The Storm head into the 2027 recruitment window with a large bank account to throw around, Craig Bellamy locked up for another two years, and a desire to add to their backline.
While they have other needs, the fact that they haven't needed to look externally to replace Ryan Papenhuyzen has been a great piece of foresight, money-wise.
Eliesa Katoa, if he doesn't return long-term, will also be replaced by Oryn Keeley, who arrives at the club from the Dolphins in 2027.
That ultimately means the Storm have plenty of wiggle room to attack players they want, and the loss of Nick Meaney, as well as the potential desire to move Jack Howarth into the second row, could actually see the Storm throw plenty at Xerri.
And a player of Xerri's talent and ability under Bellamy?
Yeah, scary.
