The Tigers are making moves in the forward pack with yet another player a chance of getting a tap on the shoulder.
According to All Out Rugby League, Royce Hunt may be given permission to look at other options despite being signed until the end of 2027.
Hunt joined the Tigers this season on a three-year deal but has fallen short of expectations, playing just 13 NRL games.
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The report about his potential early exit comes just days after it was revealed fellow Tiger Jack Bird was given permission to talk to rivals early.
Bird has another season left on his contract but has reportedly been told he’s free to leave at the end of this season if he can find a new deal elsewhere.
The Tigers are busy making moves to settle their roster for 2025 and beyond. They’ve signed Kai Pearce-Paul, Mav Geyer and Jock Madden from the Knights, Panthers and Broncos respectively, while also extending Adam Doueihi and Starford To’a.
RUGBY CLUBS EYE DOGS STAR
Viliame Kikau is bound to attract plenty of interest if he becomes a free agent on November 1 — an that interest will reportedly extend to another code too.
According to ‘The Triple M Whisperer’ — a segment on Triple M’s breakfast show — a host of rugby union clubs are keeping an eye on him.
“Viliame Kikau is reportedly in the sights of seven overseas rugby union clubs,” The Triple M Whisper said in a segment on Triple M Breakfast with Beau, Tarsh & Woodsy.
“Kikau is off-contract at the end of 2026 and the carrot of a Rugby World Cup in Australia representing Fiji might be big enough to persuade Kikau to make the code switch.”
Kikau has been key to turning the fortunes around at Belmore — so much so he’s stepped up to captain the team while Stephen Crichton was on Origin duties this year.
The 30-year-old is in his third season with the Bulldogs and has another to go. If the Dogs don’t lock him down before November 1 he’ll be able to attract offers for 2027 and beyond,
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TINO TO RETURN TO THE STORM?
Brandon Smith has revealed a shock “whisper” regarding the future of Titans superstar Tino Fa’asuamaleaui in a huge curveball surrounding his contract decision.
Smith, who is currently playing his trade for the Rabbitohs, was teammates with Fa’asuamaleaui during the pair’s time at the Storm.
And the Melbourne club are at the centre of the rumblings Smith has become aware of, which could see Fa’asuamaleaui return to the club he began his NRL career at.
“I heard a little whisper.. I heard something about Melbourne,” Smith said on The Bye Round podcast.
“Nelson’s (Asofa-Solomona) contract’s coming up. That’s all I’m saying, and he is on big money.”
Smith insinuated that the Storm could make a big decision regarding the future of Nelson Asofa-Solomona to clear space for Fa’asuamaleaui’s arrival.
However, the Kiwi international is currently contracted until the end of the 2027 season, while Fa’asuamaleaui would be hoping to sign a contract for that same year.
The Titans gun is set to hit the open market on November 1 due to a get-out clause in his mammoth $1.2 million per-year deal which could see his depart following the 2026 season.
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui could be set to make a blockbuster switch.Source: Supplied
The Perth Bears, Bulldogs and Dragons are also reportedly interested in his services, while the Titans will reportedly do what they can to retain their captain.
“For Tino and what he is dealing with at the Titans, he obviously doesn’t like this situation,” James Graham said.
“If he goes to Perth, you have to assume they are a work in progress. If he goes to the Dragons, they aren’t screaming finals, although they are improving and they are achieving enough results.
“They aren’t that far away, and maybe Tino could be that person, but I think they need some more creativity in their halves.
“But if Tino maybe just thinks I want to win, then it’s less about the money and more about the destination.”
EXILED ROOSTERS’ BIG MOVE
The race for Sandon Smith’s signature is reportedly heating up, with one club reportedly in the box seat to secure the talented playmaker’s services.
With Daly Cherry-Evans set to arrive at the Roosters, and the emergence of Hugo Savala, Smith is set to be squeezed out of the Roosters.
According to Smith’s manager Gavin Orr, the Raiders, Dragons, Knights, Cowboys and Rabbitohs have all expressed their interest in his services.
“Canberra, the Cowboys, Dragons, Souths and Newcastle have all asked me where things are at with Sandon,” Orr said to WWOS.
“We can’t talk at this stage but it seems likely he will move on.
“He has been man of the match in NSW Cup the past two weeks but the first grade is also playing well so he can’t get a crack.”
However, according to The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield, the Knights are his likely destination.
“The mail I’m getting out of Newcastle is that Sandon Smith, on Wednesday, is driving from Bondi Junction to Newcastle,” Rothfield said on Triple M.
“To look at their high-performance centre and all their facilities with the view of joining Newcastle on a two or three-year deal as a utility player.”
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Meanwhile, The Australian’s Brent Read touched on the conversations he’d had with two other clubs.
“He spoke to Ricky last week, didn’t go down to Canberra but caught up with Ricky,” he said.
“And the Cowboys, I believe, have put an offer of a two or three-year deal maybe to Sandon Smith as well.”
BRONCOS LAND REYNOLDS SUCCESOR
The Broncos have reportedly landed the signing of young gun Tom Duffy, who will reportedly sign a one-year contract in the coming days.
According to Code Sports, the 22-year-old knocked back Super League suitors to remain in the NRL, switching from North Queensland to Brisbane.
Broncos bosses reportedly are hoping veteran halfback Adam Reynolds can mentor Duffy in 2026 before he takes over in the No.7 jersey in 2027.
Ben Hunt is also expected to hang up the boots at the end of the 2026 season, opening up two spots in the club’a halves and hooker ranks.
The Brisbane club also have young gun Coby Black in their squad, while Jock Madden will make a move back to the Tigers.
Duffy is the same age as five-eighth Ezra Mam, and with Black reportedly not ready for the rigours of the NRL, the former Cowboy could leapfrog the young gun in the pecking order.
The talented halfback was handed the reins at the Cowboys in Round 1 but struggled to cement his position, playing only six games this season.
North Queensland powerbrokers did reportedly table an offer to retain Duffy but could not meet his asking price.
‘Screws them up in the head’ | 03:21
“He definitely has potential to be a starting half in the NRL,” Cowboys football boss Michael Luck said.
“Tom is very smart and understands the game. He works hard and has a good kicking game and gets his body in front defensively, so he ticks a lot of boxes for any future club.
“We have salary-cap pressures like any club and you can’t keep everyone. We wish Tom all the best for his future career.”
RAIDERS DUO IN TALKS TO EXTEND
The Raiders are reportedly in discussions to re-sign both Josh Papalii and Morgan Smithies according to the Canberra Times.
Papalii was set to make a move to the Super League before he backflipped on that move and reached out to the Canberra club to garner their interest in an extension.
The fresh report claims that Papalii’s negotiations have ramped up, with a one-year contract extension looming for the veteran enforcer.
Smithies, meanwhile, has also began negotiating his new deal with the English gun seen as a key figure in the middle of the park moving forward under Ricky Stuart.
Trey Mooney is set to be squeezed out following that duo’s extensions, with a move to the Knights on the cards.