November 1 is less than four months away, with teams around the competition already well into forward planning over what their squad will look like for years to come.
Inevitably, November 1 is the day that will draw the most attention, with players off-contract at the end of the following year able to begin negotiating with rival clubs from then.
While some clubs hold off on making decisions as they weigh up a player's future, there are some players off-contract at the end of 2027 who will receive multiple offers - and big ones - if they are not re-signed by their current club before they can negotiate.
That situation is even trickier heading into next year given the PNG Chiefs enter the competition in 2028, and while they have already managed a handful of signings are various loopholes, most of their squad - and tax-free salary cap - will be available to be spent from November 1.
As it stands, here is the player every club in the NRL must lock down before we tick on into November.
Newcastle Knights: Dominic Young
The Knights have 11 players currently off-contract at the end of 2027, but it's unlikely many will become immediate targets for rival clubs.
Dominic Young is one of them though.
As the NRL continues to get faster, and the abilities of tall wingers continue to become more and more important, players like Young will have their stock rise more and more with each passing year.
He has been strong at the Knights too, improving some areas of his game that were previous issues, and ultimately saw his stint at the Roosters cut short.
Jacob Saifiti is also a priority, but the Knights are far better equipped to replace him than Young, and ultimately, with a tight salary cap, Saifiti could be squeezed out like his brother Daniel, who went to the Dolphins before medically retiring earlier this year.
Currently off-contract at end of 2027: Matt Arthur, Mat Croker, Harrison Graham, Peter Hola, Fletcher Hunt, Asu Kepaoa, Jacob Saifiti, Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana, Pasami Saulo, James Schiller, Dominic Young
