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.
Cronulla Sharks
Current 2027 squad
Addin Fonua-Blake, Thomas Hazelton, Nicho Hynes, Liam Ison, Oregon Kaufusi, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Briton Nikora, Riley Pollard, Braydon Trindall, Teig Wilton
Current 2027 best 17
1. Liam Ison
2. Ronaldo Mulitalo
3. No player signed.
4. No player signed.
5. No player signed.
6. Braydon Trindall
7. Nicho Hynes
8. Addin Fonua-Blake
9. No player signed.
10. Thomas Hazelton
11. Briton Nikora
12. Teig Wilton
13. No player signed.
Interchange
14. Riley Pollard
15. Oregon Kaufusi
16. No player signed.
17. No player signed.
Off-contract players
End of 2025: Jayden Berrell, Mawene Hiroti, William Kennedy
End of 2026: Blayke Brailey, Billy Burns, Jesse Colquhoun, Michael Gabrael, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Tuku Hau Tapuha, KL Iro, Sione Katoa, Cameron McInnes, Hohepa Puru, Niwhai Puru, Jesse Ramien, Toby Rudolf, Samuel Stonestreet Siosifa Talakai, Chris Vea'ila
What needs doing
In short, a lot.
The long version of that, though, is that if Cronulla wants to launch a rebuild or reshape their squad, then the upcoming year is the time to do it, in the lead-up to 2027.
The Sharks have finalised most of their roster for next year, and with limited salary cap space available, the re-signings of fullback William Kennedy and promising youngster Sam Stonestreet may not materialise.
Their attention is firmly on the lead-up to November 1, though.
Blayke Brailey should be priority number one for the club, with the dummy half recently refusing an offer put on the table for him, which is believed to be well below market value.
While he is the star of the show, other regular first-graders, including KL Iro, Sione Katoa, Jesse Ramien, Toby Rudolf, and Siosifa Talakai, are also off-contract.
That's where it gets interesting for Craig Fitzgibbon, though.
The Sharks have underperformed to this point during his tenure, and maybe some of those players will depart to bring in fresh blood, or even free up first-grade spots for some of the other young off-contract players.
Michael Gabrael and Chris Vea'ila are rated as big parts of the future in the Shire for the outside backs, while Hohepa Puru and Jesse Colquhoun are other players in the forward pack who could lead the club into the future.
You'd rate those four as potentially the most pressing deals to get done, while the jury could remain out on the rest of the group heading into November 1 without a deal on the board.
Sharks also have the (perennially injured) Kade Dykes off contract at the end of 2025