The NRL's "silly season" is nearing full swing.
In just over two months, every player off-contract at the end of 2026 will be able to negotiate with rival clubs.
The ever-changing landscape of NRL contracts, with players signing with rivals or negotiating with them, means that we could well see players changing clubs in November for 2027, despite a full season still to run on their current deals.
That is simply the nature of the beast.
We have run the rule over where every club stands ahead of November 1, their current 2027 squads, the players they need to lock up, and the players who are likely to hit the open market.
With the Perth Bears to enter the competition as well, hitting the open market with a blank cheque book and 30 spots to fill, it's going to be the biggest free agency scramble since the arrival of the Dolphins.
Here is the rundown for your club's needs over the next ten weeks.
You can use the drop-down menu to navigate by club.
Wests Tigers
Current 2027 squad
Javon Andrews, Adam Doueihi, Latu Fainu, Samuela Fainu, Pheonix Godinet, Jared Haywood, Royce Hunt, Apisai Koroisau, Jock Madden, Heamasi Makasini, Terrell May, Kai Pearce-Paul, Fonua Pole, Ethan Roberts, Alex Seyfarth, Jayden Sullivan, Starford To'a, Sunia Turuva, Alex Twal, Christian Taupau-Moors
Current 2027 best 17
1. Adam Doueihi
2. No player signed.
3. Heamasi Makasini
4. Starford To'a
5. No player signed.
6. Latu Fainu
7. Jock Madden
8. Fonua Pole
9. Apisai Koroisau
10. Terrell May
11. Samuela Fainu
12. Kai Pearce-Paul
13. Alex Twal
Interchange
14. Jared Haywood
15. Ethan Roberts
16. Royce Hunt
17. Alex Seyfarth
Not in 17: Pheonix Godinet, Javon Andrews, Jayden Sullivan, Christian Taupau-Moors
Off-contract players
End of 2025: Josh Feledy, Justin Matamua, Brandon Tumeth
End of 2026: Jack Bird, Sione Fainu, Mavrik Geyer, Tristan Hope, Kit Laulilii, Luke Laulilii, Jarome Luai (player option), Heath Mason, Solomone Saukuru, Tony Sukkar, Charlie Murray
What needs doing
The biggest and most pressing question for the Tigers is whether Jarome Luai will stay into the commencement of his player options.
The long-term deal he signed with the club was fraught with danger given the options from the start of 2027, and while he has indicated he is going to be at Concord for the long haul, the options in his deal mean it's not a guarantee.
The issue for the Tigers is that he is soaking up north of a million dollars in cap room. It makes it incredibly tough to build your squad when you simply don't know if that money is going to be available or not.
Regardless, they'll need to set aside plenty for a Luai replacement if he does elect to move on, so while they wait for the New South Wales and Samoan representative to make his mind up, they can get on with other fairly critical orders of business.
The Tigers have long touted themselves as a development club, and for that to be the case, they need to retain their juniors.
It has been a disastrous year on that front, with the departures of Lachlan Galvin and Tallyn Da Silva, who were both seen as major parts of the club's future.
Heath Mason leads the list of those players off-contract at the end of 2026, while the Laulilii brothers are also both off-contract, although they may not have kicked on to anything near their potential at this point, which will make recruitment staff at the joint-venture cautious.
The decision-makers can likely be patient with the rest of the group, so don't expect to see a lot of movement prior to November 1 from Tiger Town, unless it relates to Mason or Luai.
Get set for the footy with the FREE Zero Tackle 2026 NRL Season Guide! Packed with 130+ pages of player profiles, team previews, insights and analysis, the 2026 NRL Season Guide is built for fans who want the full picture. Download your free Season Guide HERE.
Sharks also have the (perennially injured) Kade Dykes off contract at the end of 2025