North Queensland Cowboys second-rower Jeremiah Nanai recently indicated he was going to hit the open market on November 1 in a bid to find out his value.

It's a major blow for the Cowboys, who would have been keeping a player who has become one of the game's elite second-rowers, particularly at the attacking end.

While there are question marks around Nanai's defence - a familiar theme around the Cowboys - there is little doubt about what he brings in attack, both in terms of his standard running game, and his ability in the air.

His attacking record, ability to try score tries, and create havoc for opposition defences will almost certainly have opposition teams sit up and take notice.

When you cast the eye over the way rugby league is going, it's all about points and being able to score.

That is true too in the second-row. The game's elite are no longer defensive weapons, but rather, players like Hudson Young, Jacob Preston and Manly wrecking ball Haumole Olakau'atu.

It means Nanai will be hot property, and with the rising salary cap, it's not hard to see him fetching seven figures if teams turn a blind eye to his defensive issues.

Even with those, he likely wouldn't miss the seven-figure mark by that far.

Should he decide to up sticks and leave the Cowboys, then these are the clubs who will be in the mix for his signature for the 2028 season and beyond.

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1. Melbourne Storm

This, on the surface, is an absolute no-brainer.

The Storm have a few weaknesses across their squad, but the second-row might be the biggest of the lot.

They lose Shawn Blore at the end of this year to the Brisbane Broncos, still don't know if Eliesa Katoa will be able to play again, and outside of the mid-season arrival of Oryn Keeley and end of year arrival of Kelma Tuilagi, have little else.

Cooper Clarke has been a revelation this year, but whether he winds up playing as a middle or edge in the long-term remains to be seen.

All that means the Storm need more talent in the second-row, and Nanai would fill the void beautifully.

Maybe the only question facing the men in purple is the state of their salary cap, although with Cameron Munster's contract expiring at the end of 2027, you can do the maths.

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