St George Illawarra headline a number of clubs preparing to swoop on Tim Lafai should the Canterbury centre come onto the open market.
The Dragons are chasing an outside back and are also one of the suitors for Manly utility Peta Hiku. The New Zealand international is contracted to the Sea Eagles but has been told he is free to explore his options as the club attempts to free up salary cap space following an impressive recruitment drive that is about to conclude with the signature of South Sydney's Dylan Walker.
Lafai is also under contract but his future at the Bulldogs is clouded due to the club's interest in Will Hopoate. The NSW three-quarter is embroiled in a legal stoush with Parramatta, with the Supreme Court to rule whether an offer he received from the Eels is legally binding.
Hopoate is currently clubless but is expected to link with the 'Family Club', where he will reunite with his former Sea Eagles mentor Des Hasler. That move would raise questions over Lafai's place in a powerful backline, with several rivals monitoring the situation closely.
The Gold Coast and the Warriors also have money to spend and have expressed interest should Lafai become a free agent. However, the Red V is shaping as the most likely destination if he is released and they miss out on Hiku's signature.
Parramatta has tabled Hiku a two-year offer and guaranteed him a starting centre position. Hiku has also fielded interest from Wests Tigers and the Titans, while Brisbane assistant Stephen Kearney has a high opinion of the 22-year-old from their time together at the Kiwis.
However, the Eels and Dragons are the most viable options. The joint-venture outfit wants to play Hiku at fullback, a move that would allow Josh Dugan to shift into the centres. If they miss out and Lafai is available, they will seek to purchase him as a centre and keep Dugan at fullback, the position he occupies in the NSW State of Origin side.
Lafai is expecting his second child and it's unclear whether he would be prepared to move out of Sydney if he is released.
Walker is expected to officially be announced as a Sea Eagle within a week after being granted the release he was craving. New Manly coach Trent Barrett views the Kangaroos representative as the man to fill the five-eighth void created by the departure of Kieran Foran to Parramatta.
