Jonah Pezet seems something of a guarantee to leave the Melbourne Storm.
Exactly when that plays out, to whom, and how those discussions happen remain to be seen, but Jahrome Hughes' re-signing has made things crystal clear.
Unless, by some miracle, the Melbourne Storm actually allow Cameron Munster to negotiate when the Perth Bears come knocking, Pezet will not be at the Storm long-term.
He is contracted through to the end of 2029, but there is a clause in his deal that says he is a free agent the moment Hughes put pen to paper on his own contract extension, which now runs all the way out to 2030.
There is no doubt that Pezet, an ex-junior State of Origin player, will have plenty of interest in his services too.
Quality halves are hard to find around the competition, much less ones who could ultimately lead your club for the next decade.
Whether it's 2026 or 2027, here are the options when it comes to clubs who will - or, at the very least, should - make a play for the young gun.
5. Perth Bears
This is the obvious play if Pezet elects to wait around in Melbourne for the 2026 season.
The Perth Bears enter the competition in 2027, and while all the talk has been around picking up Cameron Munster, which would probably make the discussion around Pezet a moot point, the bottom line remains the Storm are unlikely to release the Queensland State of Origin captain.
There are some other strong options on the market in the halves for 2027, with the Warriors yet to lock up either Luke Metcalf or Tanah Boyd, and one of them seemingly being the most likely to join the Western Australian franchise.
But why not Pezet?
If they are looking for a guy who can steer the club around for their first decade in existence, as the Dolphins have done with Isaiya Katoa, then this would be the perfect match.
Pezet would head to Perth with more experience than Katoa had at the time, and given the way Katoa has made the NRL's 17th side his own, Pezet could well do the same with the 18th over in the west.
Newcastle already has a conga-line of halves, and a coach who has been unable to decide between them.
Pezet should avoid going there unless the coach and half the halves have been axed.
The cows have plenty of origin players, so a decent halves pairing could transform them. They have got one – now all they need is the other.
Perth – unless they are throwing in frequent flyer points as an under-the-counter bonus, and unless he loves seeing planes from the inside – I think Mr Pezet ought to ignore them.