The Sydney Morning Herald
· collected 2026-10-10 · by Adrian Proszenko
NRL clubs are preparing to open the chequebooks in the countdown to the November 1.
asserted
clubs → prepare → November
The PNG Chiefs, armed with tax-free dollars, are about to enter their first free-agency period, just as some of the biggest names in the game become available.
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some → arm → game
Here are the top marquee men – if they don’t come to terms with their incumbent clubs beforehand – that will be testing their market value.
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that → come → value
Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers)
This is the biggest domino to fall in the transfer market.
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This → fall → market
Undoubtedly the best and most influential player in the NRL, which will make Cleary’s the most sought-after signature in the game.
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Cleary → make → game
The horrific leg injury suffered in the preliminary final is a curveball that nobody saw coming, but that won’t deter Penrith or other clubs from trying to secure his services.
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that → suffer → services
Will be the priority target of the PNG Chiefs, but recommitting to the Panthers remains the most likely outcome.
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recommitting → recommit → Panthers
Teammate Isaah Yeo would be on this list, but he’s expected to stay put.
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he → expect → list
Sam Walker (Sydney Roosters)
Walker’s stocks continue to rise, after winning a premiership ring and earning a spot in the Kangaroos World Cup squad.
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stocks → continue → squad
Has proven he can perform on the big stage, as evidenced by performances in State of Origin and the finals series.
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he → prove → Origin
Remains to be seen if the Roosters will budge on the initial extension offer that Walker’s management declined to take up.
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management → see → that
The Chiefs are lying in wait if the parties can’t come to terms and Cleary stays put at Penrith.
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Cleary → lie → Penrith
Latrell Mitchell (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
South Sydney has long been accused of ceding too much power to Mitchell.
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Sydney → accuse → Mitchell
That changed when the club put contract talks on hold – potentially until March – after Mitchell played just 34 games in three seasons.
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Mitchell → change → seasons
The hardest NRL player to value given the impact he has on the field, and how rarely he’s on it.
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he → value → it
It will be fascinating to see if Newcastle makes a play for Mitchell if Bradman Best leaves that club.
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Best → see → club
Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins)
The mail about the Roosters eyeing Farnworth won’t go away.
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Roosters → eye → Farnworth
Farnworth did little to douse the speculation after he recently became an ambassador for BYD, one of the Roosters’ major sponsors.
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he → do → sponsors
The best centre in the world, a club like the Roosters would be prepared to shift him to fullback once James Tedesco finishes up
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Tedesco → shift → fullback
The Dolphins are desperate to keep him, but face a serious battle to do so.
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Dolphins → keep → battle
Munster feels like he has been low-balled, after Melbourne offered him a contract extension worth only about $750,000 per season.
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Melbourne → feel → season
Will head to the open market after PNG decided not to make an offer, at least until they know whether Cleary, Walker and Titans youngster Zane Harrison are doing.
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Cleary → head → offer
Munster has spoken of his love of Craig Bellamy, but if next year will be the last for the supercoach, the chance for a bigger payday elsewhere could be irresistible.
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chance → speak → payday
Samuela Fainu (Wests Tigers)
One of the reasons the Tigers were prepared to let Jarome Luai go was to ensure money was freed up to spend on Fainu.
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money → let → Fainu
So keen are the Tigers, they’ve even floated the prospect of taking on brother Manase, who hasn’t played since 2019 after a stint in jail.
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who → float → jail
Fainu’s preference would be to play alongside his three other brothers – Sione, Latu and Manase – at the Tigers.
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preference → play → Tigers
But they will need to table a long and lucrative offer to ensure keep him.
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they → need → him
Matt Burton (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Canterbury have made it clear Burton will be on centre – rather than five-eighth – money if he is to stay in Belmore.
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he → make → Belmore
Has been heavily linked to Parramatta, who are treading water after signing Jarome Luai for just 12 months.
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who → link → months
Much will depend on whether he’s content to keep playing in the centres or prefers the cash and responsibility that comes with being in the spine.
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that → depend → spine
His big boot has also prompted talk of an NFL switch.
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boot → prompt → switch
Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm)
Grant can hit the free market if he doesn’t take up a Storm option in coming weeks.
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he → hit → weeks
While he is tipped to stay in Melbourne, the Kangaroos hooker would spark a frenzy if he chose to test his value.
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he → tip → value
Unlikely to head to Perth, as the move could knock long-time teammate Tyran Wishart out of the Bears No.9 jersey.
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move → head → jersey
Hudson Young (Canberra Raiders)
The first test case for the NRL’s insistence that PNG pays “market value” for its recruits.
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PNG → pay → recruits
Canberra has upped its offer to $4.4 million over four years in a bid to scare off suitors.
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Canberra → up → suitors
The Chiefs are still keen, but don’t want to blow the budget at a time when other back-row options could include Samuela Fainu, Jeremiah Nanai, Liam Martin, Briton Nikora, David Fifita, Brendan Piakura, Teig Wilton and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki.
uncertain
options → want → Fifita
The NSW Origin centre is in no rush to commit to Newcastle, given Parramatta is ready to make a big-money offer.
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Parramatta → commit → offer
Expect him to be part of a centres merry-go-round that could also include Latrell Mitchell, Herbie Farnworth, Matt Burton, Billy Smith, Jack Wighton, Jack Howarth and Deine Mariner.
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that → expect → Mitchell
The Aporia
