Free agency for 2027 is in full swing, and while players sort their futures, plenty of eyes have shuffled to Townsville where rising star Jaxon Purdue is among the off-contract list.
At just 20 years of age, Purdue has already well and truly made his mark as an NRL player, whether that be in the centres or at five-eighth.
A player with all the talent in the world, he will also likely spend some time at fullback if there are issues with Scott Drinkwater, or halfback if need be, and there is little doubt he will eventually be an Origin player one way or another.
If he finds form in the next two months, there is no reason the Mackay-born utility couldn't be in the mix for Billy Slater's six-man bench this season.
Off the field, it has appeared he will likely stay with the Cowboys, but there are no guarantees there. The Cowboys salary cap doesn't have the wiggle room that some others do, and with an expansion side looming, it will add more pressure on Todd Payten and his recruitment staff to retain Purdue.
Here are the other clubs around the competition that could make a play.
1. Perth Bears
If the Bears could go out and hand pick a player from the open market for their first team, it would probably be Jaxon Purdue.
When Zero Tackle ranked the top 25 players still without a deal for 2027 recently, Purdue came in at number one, and with good reason.
He has talent, franchise building capabilities, and can play multiple positions. He is the kind of guy you could give a long-term contract too with an enormous amount of contact.
The Bears have options in the one, six, seven and centres, but they certainly need more, and the fact Purdue can play all of them would make him an appealing prospect for Mal Meninga and his recruitment staff.
It would be something of a surprise if Purdue hasn't already been approached by the Bears, even if the chance of him relocating across the country is potentially on the slimmer end of the scale.
