The November 1 free agency window is set to open on Saturday, with some huge contracts on the horizon for a host of players.

So who are the stars that could be in line for the most significant salary rises?

The likes of Billy Burns, Jesse Colquhoun, Jaxon Purdue and Hamish Stewart are all due pay days after impressive 2025 campaigns.

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Meanwhile, some of the game’s biggest names could also field multimillion-dollar offers to make shock switches, especially considering the threat of the Perth Bears, who have a war chest ready to make a splash.

Here, foxsports.com.au breaks down 10 players who could be set for the biggest pay rises!

CONNOR TRACEY

Connor Tracey is the Bulldogs’ starting fullback yet earns less than $500k, according to reports that emerged around the time of his Sharks release.

Tracey made the move from Cronulla to the Bulldogs in November 2023, signing on for three years as he eyed regular first grade football.

Now he has secured the No.1 jersey under Cameron Ciraldo, it looks almost certain his time at the Belmore club will be extended.

Not only due to his ability at the back, but also because Tracey can play anywhere in the outside backs, meaning Ciraldo could even opt to shift superstar Stephen Crichton into the No.1 jersey if he desires. With Lachlan Galvin signed and halfback prodigy Mitchell Woods looming, there is also conjecture around a new home at fullback for Matt Burton.

One way or another, it looks likely that Tracey will earn a solid upgrade on his next deal.

Yet he’s still a player who won’t break the bank and therefore a valuable member of any NRL squad, with rivals almost certain to make a play for his services should he hit the open market on November 1.

Wests Tigers are reportedly on the brink of a split from Jahream Bula, with his salary set to spike to $900,000 per season when he’s not yet a genuinely elite No.1 week-in, week-out — so a player like Tracey may present as an attractive, reliable option who comes with a touch less brilliance but a far lower price tag. Especially given big money in their spine is invested in Jarome Luai and Apisai Koroisau.

BILLY BURNS

Any player who keeps Briton Nikora out of a starting team is deserving of a pay rise.

Billy Burns had a brilliant end to the 2025 season with the Sharks, slotting into the starting side in Round 24 and keeping his spot until Cronulla were dumped out of the finals series by the Storm.

The 26-year-old made his NRL debut way back in 2019 with the Panthers but made a move to the Dragons in 2021, where he struggled to secure regular first grade football beyond that year.

By the end of 2023 he was informed his services were no longer required and he reached out to Craig Fitzgibbon, who handed him an NRL lifeline.

Since then, Burns had his contract extended until the end of the 2026 season and considering the club’s cap headache it’s hard to imagine he was earning much more than the NRL minimum wage ($142,500 in 2025).

Should he hit the open market, Burns could field solid contract offers considering his showing to close out the year, and it remains to be seen if the Sharks can keep him in 2027. A product of Parkes in western NSW, Burns might be a smart buy for a club that needs a heart-starter in the pack, like Newcastle or Wests Tigers.

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JESSE COLQUHOUN

Another Sharks player who showcased his value to close out the 2025 season.

After skipper Cameron McInnes suffered a ruptured ACL in August, Craig Fitzgibbon turned to the 24-year-old to fill the void in the No.13 jersey.

Jesse Colquhoun was one of Cronulla’s most consistent performers late in the season and with more first grade minutes at lock, he will be able to deliver for longer periods.

The middle forward has battled several injuries in recent years, returning from a ruptured ACL of his own in 2025 which stalled his development.

Regardless, Colquhoun’s talent is clear to see and he will almost certainly earn a pay rise in 2027, with suitors likely to circle the talented forward come November 1.

However, it also looks likely the Sharks will be desperate to retain his services, with McInnes also coming off-contract a the same time.

Considering McInnes is 31, Cronulla powerbrokers may be unwilling to hand him a long-term contract extension and instead put their eggs in Colquhoun’s basket.

With a few moving parts in the Melbourne Storm pack, and Craig Bellamy’s unrivalled talent for making unsung heroes shine, perhaps he may also present as an attractive option down south.

TINO FA’ASUAMALEAUI

It would be a hammer blow for the Titans if he leaves, but skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui is set to hit the open market.

The elite enforcer informed CODE Sports he was set to field offers from rivals while in England for the Ashes series — and it’s about more than money.

“I do really want to stay at the Titans but I want to see things improve around the place and that’s (by) winning. I have tried to do that for five years, to try to win, and there have been a lot of ups and downs,” he said.

“I would love to stay but an NRL career is so short.”

Fa’asuamaleaui is expected to field offers from a host of clubs, including the Dragons, Perth Bears and Bulldogs — and his salary could soar to new heights.

The representative superstar could earn $1.5 million per-season on any fresh deal, with his current 10-year contract worth a reported $1.2 million each year.

The Bears specifically could have the scope to table a five-year, $7.5 million contract to make Fa’asuamaleaui their marquee star.

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JAYDEN CAMPBELL

According to News Corp, Jayden Campbell is earning around $700,000 on his current contract, which expires at the end of the 2026 season.

The Titans have already moved to lock him down long-term and that contract would see him land a significant pay rise.

CODE have previously reported the Gold Coast club tabled a five-year, $4.5m contract to keep him until the end of the 2031 season.

The 25-year-old has also been linked with the Dragons and now it looks likely he will hit the open market come November 1, with the Perth Bears almost certain to make a play for his services. If their interest is genuine, the Red V may step up after missing out on Warriors playmaker Luke Metcalf; though there has to be question marks as to whether he’s the organising No.7 the club needs.

Campbell plied his trade as a halfback this season under Des Hasler but it remains to be seen if that’s his best position.

Since his NRL debut in 2021, the livewire has also played at fullback and five-eighth.

But should he sign elsewhere as a No.7 or No.1, that will likely be how he secures his most lucrative pay packet, with clubs willing to pay a premium for elite talent in those crucial spine positions.

TYRAN WISHART

Tyran Wishart sits in a peculiar position as November 1 looms.

The Storm gun committed to the club for the 2026 season after an option was activated in his contract but now he is set to take on the open market.

The 25-year-old has been limited largely to a bench role in recent years and the 2025 season was a quieter one for the versatile gun compared to his 2024 campaign.

Had he been able to sign a contract last year, you could argue Wishart could have signed up for a bumper salary with the hype surrounding him.

However, it’s also unlikely his value has dropped, considering he can play in the halves, across the backline and at hooker.

Wishart was Bellamy’s go-to player when he needed to fix a hole, but he could find a regular starting spot elsewhere and he has previously been linked with a move to the Dragons.

The talented star could be a regular starting half for a host of teams, and as such is set to earn a significant pay rise if he makes a move to be a crucial spine member of any new team. A couple of clubs whose halves are in a state of flux are South Sydney and Gold Coast; the former with Cody Walker on his last legs and unproven options alongside, the latter with Kieran Foran having just retired.

Wishart could also be the perfect target for the Perth Bears, allowing the club’s recruitment bosses to then target a multitude of positions, as Wishart can be shuffled around.

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JAXON PURDUE

Jaxon Purdue is the crown jewel of the Cowboys’ next generation of talent.

The 20-year-old already has 32 NRL appearances under his belt, with majority of those coming out of his natural position in the centres.

Purdue has proved to be a lethal attacking threat on an edge but he believes his future lies in the halves, having played eight games at five-eighth under Todd Payten.

The rising star is currently contracted until the end of the 2026 season, having joined the NRL squad this year after he was on a development deal in 2024.

However, despite the Cowboys tabling him a new deal, Purdue is set to hit the open market where his current salary of around $300,000 to $400,000 could soar.

With his ability to play in the outside backs, in the halves and at fullback — as well as his potential — Purdue could command a significant pay packet.

With Purdue being a product of Norths Devils Mackay and St Patrick’s College, the Cowboys have the upper hand in any negotiations, being his junior club.

However, a significant contract could lure him away in a big blow for Payten. Aforementioned clubs like South Sydney, St George Illawarra and Gold Coast could be options if Purdue was happy to move, as could a club with a dominant halfback in need of an energetic young No.6, as Penrith did in pairing Blaize Talagi with Nathan Cleary.

LINDSAY SMITH

Lindsay Smith has been one of the Panthers’ most consistent players for several years.

And as such, the champion club are hopeful of making him a Panther for life according to News Corp, with a monster deal tabled.

It remains to be seen how many years and what salary that contract includes, but it will almost certainly net him a solid pay rise.

The 25-year-old is expected to reach the November 1 deadline as a free agent as he is currently away with the Kangaroos for the Ashes tour.

Considering Smith’s growing standing in the game, having made his Test debut in 2024 and with an Ashes appearance looming, the middle forward will only get better with age.

The gun prop is seen as the long-term leader of Penrith’s forward pack but as it stands could be targeted by the Perth Bears, who join the competition in 2027.

Should he make that move, Smith could earn a significant amount more than what the Panthers have on offer, considering the wealth of talent already signed under their salary cap.

A couple of other modestly performed Sydney clubs this year, the Rabbitohs and Dragons, could use an elite middle; with South Sydney having also lost Davvy Moale for 2027 and Saints nearing the end of the road with former Test prop David Klemmer, who remains unsigned for next season.

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HAMISH STEWART

Hamish Stewart is one of an exciting crop of Dragons young guns who stamped their mark on the competition this season.

Alongside Dylan Egan, who was handed a fresh deal until the end of 2027 in March, Stewart found regular minutes under Shane Flanagan.

Both players had their seasons ended prematurely due to a knee injury and head knocks respectively, but Stewart now looks likely to earn a hefty pay rise.

The 21-year-old has a player option for the 2027 season, and it looks incredibly unlikely he will take that up considering his emergence.

Stewart’s current salary would sit close to the NRL minimum wage, and he could be set to earn a hefty pay rise even to remain with the Dragons.

But should he hit the open market, rivals will circle for the talented lock who could be a key figure moving forward for the Red V for years to come.

JYE GRAY

Jye Gray enjoyed a breakout season in 2025 and the rising star is being courted by rebel rugby competition R360.

The 21-year-old played 19 games this year due to a host of Latrell Mitchell injuries, but had locked down the No.1 jersey by the season’s end.

Gray reportedly earns around $400,000 on his current contract but has been offered a mammoth $2.4 million, three-year deal to make a switch to the 15-man code.

While NRL clubs are unlikely to match that, Gray could be set for a healthy pay rise on his next deal and Rabbitohs bosses have made it clear they are keen to retain him.

“His development on and off the field over the last two seasons has been exceptional,” Solly told Code Sports.

“We would love him to stay at the club long-term and continue that development to make a big contribution to our success.

“But we also understand that if the salaries being discussed in R360 are true, Jye faces a difficult decision.”

Until there’s more clarity regarding R360, it looks unlikely Gray will be making a decision on his future before November 1.