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.
6. Canterbury Bulldogs
Maybe the most eyebrow-raising option on this list, but not totally out of the realms of possibility.
The Bulldogs, who have started the year two and zero, seem to have Lachlan Galvin now identified as their long-term halfback, but anyone who suggests the jury isn't still out on the former Tiger is off with the fairies.
The first two games haven't exactly set the world on fire in attack for the blue and white, and nor of course did the final rounds of 2025.
That could well lead to the Bulldogs exploring their options at seven, and even if they don't there, the loss of Reed Mahoney - well, release of Reed Mahoney - to the North Queensland Cowboys, has left them short at number nine.
Patrick Woods and Jake Turpuin are at the club, but Humphreys would be a major upgrade. He could even wind up starting at nine, because there is more than a minor school of thought that suggests Hayward's best position is the 13, not the 9.
The Bulldogs recruitment has been a constant watch in recent seasons, and 2026 is shaping up that it will be no different.
Raiders, Dragons and Bulldogs don’t need Humphreys, their halfbacks and hookers are fine.