Nic White could be forced to choose between the lure of a World Cup or a lucrative Japanese deal, with the ACT Brumbies scrumhalf in the sights of an international raid.
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The 31-year-old becomes the latest Brumbies player, alongside three others, in a growing list linked to Japan's League One next season.
White returned from his stint at English club Exeter Chiefs to Super Rugby in mid-2020 to reclaim his Wallabies eligibility.
But the scrumhalf's extended two-year deal with the Brumbies is set to end in a matter of months once the Pacific season concludes.
The father of three is said to be seriously considering the overseas club's offer.
Brumbies lock Cadeyrn Neville said the outside noise of contract deals was being silenced before it even started in camp at Bruce.
"We sort of try to keep it inside noise, really, so the outside noise is not news by the time it reaches [us]," he said.
"These things happen every year. We try to deal with it in a way that disrupts the group as little as possible and still stay focused on what we want to achieve."
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Wallabies flyhalf Noah Lolesio has also been linked to contract discussions in Japan, and deals are already on the table for Australia's first-choice fullback Tom Banks and upcoming lock Nick Frost.
Banks and Lolesio are reportedly fielding multi-million dollar offers from Japanese teams, with the fullback's offer worth about $1.4 million per season.
Frost has signed a deal with the Panasonic Wild Knights for 2023, however, things could change if he debuts for the Wallabies in July.
The departure of all four to Japan, in addition to Irae Simone heading to France, will make incoming Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham's job harder from the get go.
It seems Rugby Australia's own policy to try and entice players to stay in Super Rugby, with the lure of a Wallabies jersey, may be a losing battle.
Lucrative pay packets seem to be winning, with players rolling the dice as to whether they are chosen as one of the three overseas-based players Wallabies coach Dave Rennie can pick for each series.
Neville - who missed his Australia Test debut last year due to injury - is not one feeling the pull of international clubs. His sights are set on a green and gold jersey.
Despite a shoulder injury, the 33-year-old was included in Rennie's 40-player squad in the Gold Coast this month.
"I thought being injured [you] get left off camps like that, so I wasn't even checking when they put out the names. Then I had a few messages saying, 'Well done'," he said.
"Now that I'm actually playing again, I can start thinking about putting performances in that can get noticed.
"[It will] be the biggest milestone in my career to date, if I can do it."
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Isobel Cootes
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
