FIRST Daniel Saifiti, then Jayden Brailey. Now Bradman Best.
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The rugby league silly season should not even officially kick off until next month, but already speculation is swirling about the future of a number of key Newcastle Knights.
The latest rumour to find its way into the mainstream media is that Wests Tigers are planning to make Newcastle centre Bradman Best an offer that would "make him one of the highest-paid centres in the game".
Which, incidentally, he already is.
Best was reportedly earning "Origin money" even before he made his spectactular two-try debut for NSW in July.
Just how much above and beyond the Tigers are willing to go for Best remains to be seen, because they are not officially allowed to talk to him before the first day of next month.
The Knights remain confident they will convince the 21-year-old, who is contracted until the end of 2024, to extend his tenure.
But nothing can be agreed because Best has been waiting to begin his new management deal with Black Money Enterprises, who also manage the likes of Latrell Mitchell, Jack Wighton, Cody Walker and Jesse Ramien.
Best may opt to test the market, to see what other opportunities are out there.
But even if the Tigers are in a position to outbid the Knights, who have well-documented salary-cap constraints, Best would have to weigh that up and consider how it might impact on his fledgling representative career.
State of Origin players are paid $30,000 a game, and after his dazzling debut, Best could potentially establish himself as a NSW regular if he can maintain his current trajectory.
Playing outside Kalyn Ponga, Best scored a career-best 13 tries last season and started to realise the potential he had shown since debuting in the NRL as an 18-year-old.
His former Newcastle teammate David Klemmer, meanwhile, won just four games in 2023 as the Tigers collected their second consecutive wooden spoon.
Meanwhile, former Knights skipper Mitchell Pearce is 80 minutes away from a fairytale finish after Catalans Dragons qualified for the Super League grand final last weekend.
Catalans will face Wigan in the decider at Old Trafford after eliminating four-time champions St Helens 12-6 in the semi-final.
Pearce, 34, has announced he is retiring at the end of this campaign and will be hoping to join a select group of players to have won titles in both the NRL and Super League.
He was a premiership winner with Sydney Roosters in 2013.
Catalans' win denied one of Pearce's former Newcastle teammates, Sione Mata'utia, a shot at a hat-trick of Super League titles.
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