The Brisbane Broncos have officially joined the race for Melbourne Storm second-rower Shawn Blore.
The Broncos might be short on salary cap space, but they are desperate to bring re-enforcements into their forward pack, particularly in the second-row given recent developments surrounding Brendan Piakura.
Despite being just 24 years of age, Piakura has suffered his fifth concussion and has been stood down indefinitely by the Red Hill-based medical staff, with no clear return timeline or certainty that he will be able to play again.
While that would be a drastic step, there are clear concerns for Piakura's long-term health given what he has been through in his short career to date.
Brisbane's second-row depth is skinny moving forward, with the club regularly forced to move Xavier Willison to the edge when injuries or suspension strike.
With Payne Haas leaving at the end of the year and Corey Jensen no guarantee to play again, Willison's role in the middle will become more important than ever in what should be a front row combination with the arriving Mitch Barnett, while Patrick Carrigan will line up at lock.
It means Brisbane need an insurance policy in the second-row, and they may have found one, with News Corp reporting the Broncos have joined the race for Shawn Blore.
It would be something of a surprising move for Blore.
All the noise has been that he wants to leave Melbourne to return to Sydney where he grew up, citing home sickness as a part of the issue.
Blore is believed to have some interest from Sydney, although it may be that the number of clubs who have been in talks with him has shrunk as teams close their rosters for next season.
A move to Brisbane wouldn't be out of the question for Blore given the Red Hill-based outfit's status in the competition, but it also would raise eyebrows given their salary cap.
Blore isn't the highest-paid of second-rowers, but will certainly demand a decent chunk of the salary cap wherever he lands.
Michael Maguire confirmed the Broncos are yet to officially table an offer to Blore, but that they have been talking to him about the prospects of a contract in 2027.
It's believed the Parramatta Eels and Wests Tigers are also interested in the Samoan international, while the St George Illawarra Dragons withdrew any interest recently, with their young crop of forwards already at the club continuing to make significant strides.
