Young gun winger Junior Tupou may be priority number one for the Wests Tigers following the November 1 deadline allowing players off-contract at the end of 2024 to negotiate with rivals.
Tupou is one of a host of Tigers' players off-contract at the end of next season, in a list across the competition that features more than 180 players able to negotiate.
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News Corp are reporting that Tupou has been offered a two-year extension to remain a Tiger, which could ward off interest expected from the likes of the Canberra Raiders and Canterbury Bulldogs.
Tupou grew up in Canberra, playing both rugby league and rugby union during his youth though, so a deal from the nation's capital could talk.
The deal would lock Tupou in at Concord until at least the end of the 2026 season where he would have hoped to have properly cemented himself into first-grade by that time.
The 21-year-old, who was born in Auckland, has impressed during his time in first-grade, having debuted for the Tigers in 2022. He has gone on to play 26 first-grade times and be a rapid improver for the club.
Raised in Canberra, Tupou made the switch to the Tigers ahead of his first-grade debut, and his youthful age fits in with the club's recent mantra - the Tigers have made no secret of the fact they want to become known as a development club.
The report suggests Tupou has a strong relationship with new head coach Benji Marshall which could seal the deal, although no decision is expected before he returns from England, with the winger currently on tour with Tonga.
