Jack Bostock and Harry Grant have both insisted their current NRL clubs remain live options as they head into Sunday's Rugby League World Cup final against New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium, with the two Kangaroos stars yet to finalise where they will play beyond the current season.
The off-contract pair have kept their immediate focus firmly on the decider, but with the tournament drawing to a close, attention is set to shift quickly to what promises to be a fiercely contested free agency period for two of the competition's most sought-after players.
Bostock downplays departure speculation
Bostock has been strongly linked with a move away from the Dolphins to several New South Wales clubs, with his junior club the Dragons among those said to be leading the chase. However, the winger was keen to push back on suggestions he had already made up his mind to leave Redcliffe.
"I love it up here in Queensland, so the Dolphins are still definitely in the equation," Bostock said. "I've seen a lot of people jump to the conclusion when I said I was going to the open market, and they've pencilled that in as I'm leaving the Dolphins, but that's definitely not the case."
His value on the market has surged significantly after returning from a ruptured ACL in round nine, going on to make his New South Wales State of Origin debut and score seven tries across four World Cup appearances. The Dolphins have already secured Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow but are still working to retain other off-contract players, including Herbie Farnworth, making Bostock's situation all the more pressing for the club.
Bostock made light of the swirling rumours, joking that according to reports he appeared to be heading to every club simultaneously. He added that a decision should come reasonably soon after the World Cup final concludes.
Grant puts winning ambition above lifestyle appeal
For Harry Grant, the path forward is complicated by his decision not to exercise a player option that would have kept him at the Melbourne Storm for the 2028 season, effectively placing the Test hooker on the open market. He is expected to command upwards of one million dollars per season wherever he lands.
Much of the speculation around Grant has centred on the idea that a lifestyle change, given his well-known passion for surfing, could draw him north to Queensland. The Gold Coast Titans are understood to be among the clubs monitoring his availability, with a spine that includes halfback Zane Harrison, five-eighth Jayden Campbell and fullback Keano Kini potentially offering Grant a leadership platform.
But Grant was emphatic that competitive ambition, not coastal living, would drive his decision. "I'm committed to being the best version of myself as a rugby league player," he said. "A lot of talk has been around surfboards and surfing, but I think ultimately, I just want to get the best out of my career as a rugby league player. I want to win, I want to compete, and ultimately, that will be where my heart lies."
Grant has never won a premiership despite establishing himself as one of the game's premier hookers and a State of Origin and Test regular. That hunger for a title is expected to weigh heavily in his deliberations.
Storm's future still part of the conversation
Melbourne's 2026 season has been a turbulent one. The club absorbed the shock of coach Craig Bellamy's diagnosis with a neurodegenerative disorder and also lost edge forward Eli Katoa after he suffered a brain bleed during the previous year's Pacific Championships campaign with Tonga. Those developments have prompted questions about whether the Storm remain a destination of choice.
Grant, however, was careful not to rule out a return, pointing to his close relationships with Storm chairman Matt Tripp, director of football Frank Ponissi and Bellamy himself as factors that still mattered deeply to him. "Nothing has changed, it's been a learning process as a leader and as a player," he said.
Like Bostock, Grant indicated his full attention was on the World Cup final for now, with contract talks set to follow shortly after. For both players, Sunday's match against the Kiwis at Suncorp Stadium represents the immediate priority before the NRL's off-season market truly heats up.
