The Newcastle Knights remain hopeful NSW Origin representatives Bradman Best and Jacob Saifiti will soon agree to new contracts despite the home-grown talents essentially becoming free agents as of today.
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The NRL's new contracting year has now begun with the Knights unable to lock down the star pair before November 1, after which players in the last year of their contracts can formally negotiate with rival clubs.
The Knights did announce some recruitment news yesterday, confirming the addition of former Penrith outside-back Tom Jenkins for the next two seasons.
But it is Best and Saifiti's signatures the club is eager to gain with the duo the most in-demand of seven top-flight Knights now on the open market for 2025.
That list also includes five-eighth Tyson Gamble, veteran centre Dane Gagai, outside-back Enari Tuala, forward Mat Croker and rookie back Krystian Mapapalangi.
Best and Saifiti are both understood to have been offered multi-year deals by the Knights, who will likely be competing with multiple rival teams to secure the services of each player beyond 2024.
In the case of Best, who has expressed interest in extending, Wests Tigers were reportedly set to make a big-money move for the centre. He will earn close to $700,000 in the final season of his existing contract, a three-year deal he signed back in 2021.
Prior to that contract, Knights CEO Philip Gardner said he would sign Best to a "life-time" deal if it was possible, such were the club's hopes for the teenage prodigy.
After a couple of injured-disrupted years, Best had the finest campaign of his career in 2023, playing in all but one game and netting 13 tries in 25 appearances.
He also made a stunning Origin debut, scoring a double and proving plenty of doubters wrong who had questioned his selection.
Still just 22, the Central Coast product has now played 70 NRL games and appears poised to become one of the game's elite centres.
Saifiti, meanwhile, who made his NSW debut last year, continued his rise in 2023, playing 21 games for the Knights and earning another Origin jersey.
The 27-year-old played every game apart from the five he was suspended for early in the season.
Entering his ninth year of first grade, the 142-game prop is weighing up an offer from the club while honeymooning overseas following his recent wedding.
Saifiti's twin brother, Daniel, is contracted at the Knights until the end of 2026 and it's no secret the pair love playing together.
But whether the Knights' offer is enough to keep Jacob, who has emerged from his brother's shadow in recent seasons, remains to be seen.
Jenkins' two-year deal leaves Newcastle with just one vacant spot in their top-30 roster next season.
The 22-year-old, originally from Boorowa, joins Newcastle after six NRL appearances. He scored five tries in as many games this year following his 2022 debut.
Listed as a centre by his old club, Jenkins started on the wing in all of his NRL games. He featured in Penrith's 20-12 win over Newcastle in June. The Young Cherrypickers junior will likely be battling it out with Enari Tuala and other existing Knights players to fill the void left by departed winger Dominic Young next season.
"We see Tom as a long-term NRL player and we are thankful he chose the Knights," football director Peter Parr said of Jenkins in a media release yesterday.
"He has a skill set we believe complements our style of play and will add valuable depth to our outside backs."
Jenkins will commence pre-season training on November 23, when the vast majority of the first-grade squad are due to return.
Young signed with Sydney Roosters early last season for the next four years.
The Englishman spent three years at the Knights, scoring 43 tries in 51 NRL appearances.
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