Surprise news broke this week that South Sydney Rabbitohs halfback Jamie Humphreys may be on the move at the end of the 2026 NRL season.
As the story goes, Humphreys was in negotiations with South Sydney and close to agreeing to a new deal, but that all changed when Payne Haas agreed to join the club for 2027 and beyond.
South Sydney would have been preparing a fairly substantial monetary outlay for Keaon Koloamatangi of course, but to land Haas would have seen more of their already fragile salary cap used.
Latrell Mitchell and Cameron Murray lead the rest of the big deals around the club, and while Cody Walker could retire at the end of the year freeing up some extra dollars, the story around Humphreys is not exactly a monstrous surprise.
Someone was always going to be squeezed out by the arrival of Haas, althoug it being your halfback is probably less than ideal for South Sydney.
He may still find a way to get a deal over the line, but that looks increasingly unlikely, and there is a good chance he will be elsewhere come kick-off in 2027.
Here are the clubs who will be doing more than just keeping minor tabs on the situation, keeping in mind that he can play halfback and hooker.
1. St George Illawarra Dragons
If there is a club who have more questions than most in the spine, it's the St George Illawarra Dragons.
They have started 2026 with former Storm and Sharks utility Daniel Atkinson at halfback, but how long that lasts for is anyone's guess.
The signs have been positive enough to start 2026 to suggest it's not changing anytime soon, but that's not a guarantee.
The jury is far more out on Kyle Flanagan at the number six, and given Atkinson can play there, a line of thinking could well be that Atkinson slides to five-eighth if he isn't working out at halfback.
The Dragons also have young halfback Kade Reed in the system, and, despite his pre-season exploits, he isn't ready for first-grade yet.
Humphreys could also look at a long-term number nine play in the red and white. Damien Cook's career is certainly closer to the end than the start, although he has recently indicated he wants to play on beyond the end of his current deal.
