Parramatta Eels star halfback Mitchell Moses has been tied to the Sydney Roosters in the latest rumour surrounding his future.
Speaking on Fox Sports' program NRL 360 on Tuesday evening, News Corp's Paul Kent suggested there were rumours - which haven't been founded as true by anyone - that the Roosters are 'concerned' about Keary's ability to get through the remainder of the season.
Keary is on contract with the Roosters until the end of the 2024 campaign and has a well-noted history with injury issues, including concussions.
The Roosters take one of the most conservative approaches in the league to head injuries, although Keary has looked solid during the opening three rounds of the season despite a somewhat shaky start for the tri-colours with a loss to the Dolphins, before tight wins in Rounds 2 and 3 over the New Zealand Warriors and South Sydney Rabbitohs respectively.
Despite that, Kent told NRL 360 that Mitchell Moses' management could be making a 'smart move' to sit back and wait on what might pop up from the Roosters.
“There's rumours going around, I have not had anyone confirm them, that the Roosters are seeing out whether (Luke) Keary is going to get through the season okay,” Kent said.
“But more on the Roosters, look it is a smart move by Moses' management if they are going to do that, if he's holding out just to see what pops up.
“He still has another year at Parramatta with an option.”
It's well-known that the battle for Moses is essentially down to a two-horse race, with the Eels battling the Wests Tigers for his services heading into the 2024 campaign.
Moses could opt to stay with the Eels for another season without a change of contract - something he'd need to do if he wants to wind up at the Roosters given Keary's contract situation.
But in doing so, he would give up plenty of coin, given the Eels are offering a $1.1 million per season increase, and reports suggest the Tigers could be prepared to make Moses the richest player in the game on up to $1.5 million per season.
Moses being unlikely to take up the player option and instead renegotiate his future with the Eels essentially means he won't be able to sit on his hands for much longer either - he needs to give the Eels an answer on the option in his contract by Round 10 according to reports.
It's unclear how long the Tigers are prepared to wait for an answer either - the club have had a woeful start to the season with three straight losses under new coach Tim Sheens, and need to start making some big calls for 2024, particularly given Luke Brooks is off-contract at the end of this season.
The problem for the Tigers of course is that there are few top options off-contract at the end of 2023 in the halfback position outside of Moses if they wish to steer the club in a different direction than Luke Brooks.
Brooks holds the unwanted record as the most-capped NRL player without a single finals appearance, but alongside Moses and Brooks, the only other halfbacks of note off-contract at the end of the season are Shaun Johnson and Kyle Flanagan. A number of fringe first-grade options are available including Adam Clune, Drew Hutchison, Cooper Johns, Brad Schneider and Brandon Wakeham, as well as young gun Tom Duffy.
But none of those players are going to be a significant upgrade on Brooks like Moses would be, so it's more than understandable why the Tigers are prepared to wait as they attempt to snap a decade-long finals drought.
While the Eels and Tigers will remain the front-runners for Moses heading into 2024, there are more factors at play suggesting the Roosters being involved in this contract speculation is pure speculation with no evidence from those who report it.
Why the Roosters would show a shadow of interest in a halfback when Sam Walker has just re-signed is beyond comprehension.
Trent Robinson's side flipped their entire 2022 season on its head after a change of roles in the halves, with Walker moving to halfback and Keary five-eighth.
Walker is the long-term future of the club in the number seven, and while the tri-colours will ultimately likely be looking for a replacement five-eighth from the commencement of the 2025 season, that is not Moses.
Moses is an out-and-out number seven - and one of the best in the game at that. Him playing in the six would make no sense, and nor would Walker.
But that's even if they could afford Moses. The Roosters have a well-publicised high-profile squad. Walker's renewal wouldn't have come cheap, and neither would that of Joseph Suaalii or Joseph Manu, while it's well-known that James Tedesco is one of the best-paid players in the game.
Victor Radley has just renewed on likely increased coin, and Brandon Smith's move from the Melbourne Storm during the most recently completed off-season wouldn't have come cheap.
That's not to say the Roosters are pushing the salary cap, but spending more than a million dollars per season on a position they already have stocked makes no sense whatsoever.
In fact, none of it makes sense.
Moses will sign a contract for 2024 with either the Eels or Tigers - that much is for certain.
