Sydney Roosters have emerged as favourites to sign former All Black Sonny Bill Williams, although they would need to release one of their players to complete the deal.
Williams has been linked with a return to the NRL, after his Toronto Wolfpack club withdrew from the English Super League competition on Tuesday (NZ time), due to the "overwhelming financial challenges" posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Williams "is seriously contemplating moving his family from Manchester in the coming days" to join the Roosters, where he played 45 games between 2013-14.
Agent Khoder Nasser was spotted having lunch with Roosters boss Nick Politis, although the meeting was arranged before Williams' became available.
The Roosters have lost middle forwards Victor Radley and Sam Verrills for the season, while Angus Crichton will also miss up to six weeks with a knee injury, so signing Williams would add depth to that position.
NZ Warriors and Canterbury Bulldogs - where Williams won the 2004 NRL premiership - are also in the running, but with both those teams unlikely to play the finals, the Roosters seem the more logical option.
The Roosters hope for a decision by the end of the week and need to get a contract signed before the August 3 deadline.
After releasing Latrell Mitchell last year, the back-to-back champions reportedly have about $300,000 in available salary cap space, although they will need to release a player, as they currently have a full 30-man roster.
Williams faces some challenges before returning to the NRL. He's not an Australian citizen and would need a federal government exemption to enter Australia before serving a two-week quarantine.
He also hasn't played rugby league since March and underwent knee surgery the same month, so would likely require a couple of weeks to get to match fitness.
Roosters captain Boyd Cordner would love to see Williams return to the club.
"If he does make a return to the NRL, then definitely I'd love to play alongside Sonny again," he says. "Who wouldn't?
"There's a lot of talk at the moment, I'm not sure how true it is. It's gaining momentum, but we'll just see how that unfolds.
"When there's talk of anyone coming back to the NRL, the Roosters are going to get brought up.
"As a playing group, we're not too worried about that. I think our focus is about getting back in the winner's circle and back on track."
Earlier this week, Warriors chief executive Cameron George said he had reached out to Williams' management.
"We're in a position where obviously we're going to require players and if Sonny Bill Williams becomes available, of course we're going to look at how it could happen," George told NRL.com.
"We'll reach out for sure to try and understand the situation. We're already looking for loan players, so imagine if it came off.
"The stars would have to be aligned, and I don't know if and when Sonny could even get to Australia, but we'd be mad not to ask the question."
The Warriors are due to play the Rooters on Saturday, with Ken Maumalo, David Fusitu'a, Agnatius Paasi and King Vuniyayawa returning home after the match.
After the All Blacks' 2019 Rugby World Cup exit, Williams signed a two-year deal with the Wolfpack, earning a reported £5m (NZ$10m).
The Wolfpack failed to win any of their six matches, before the coronavirus pandemic forced the season to be suspended.
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