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.
2. North Queensland Cowboys
The Cowboys are an outfit in need of change. That much is clear.
Tom Dearden is signed long-term, and rightly so.
Whether he plays the six or seven across the duration of his contract remains to be seen. Based on his Origin performances for Queensland, you could argue halfback is the way to go.
But the same argument could be made for Pezet.
He has game management, but has also excelled when asked to replace Cameron Munster in the number six.
With no clear long-term halves partner for Dearden, there is certainly a world where Pezet becomes the next man up in Townsville and plays a major part in getting an underperforming outfit to something near their potential.
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.