South Sydney outside back Dane Gagai is reportedly on the verge of demanding a release from the Rabbitohs to link with a club that will allow him to permanently play centre.
As revealed by Sporting News' The Lurker on Monday, Gagai is unhappy at being stuck on the flank at Souths – especially after the signing of James Roberts.
The Rabbitohs' decision to recruit Roberts to replace the retired Greg Inglis has crushed Gagai's hopes of cementing himself as a centre in the cardinal and myrtle.
So disgruntled is the Queensland Maroons flyer that he is said to be seriously weighing up switching teams.
"The Rabbitohs won't want to release Gagai at season's end, but Bennett will also be wary of having an unhappy player in his club on big dollars," wrote The Lurker.
NRL 360 host Paul Kent says Gagai could potentially depart Redfern before June 30, with his market value set to peak after his man-of-the-match performance in Origin I last week.
"Dane Gagai is considering quitting Souths to go elsewhere in the NRL – possibly before the June 30 deadline, most likely after for next season," Kent said.
News Corp journalist Paul Crawley believes Gagai is a "much better" winger than a centre, pointing to his most recent Origin display as proof of his prowess near the touchline.
Despite Gagai's apparent restlessness, Kent feels that Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett may be able to stop him from leaving.
"Wayne might just call him into the office and say, 'Mate, there's no chance you're leaving. Get happy and get on with it'," Kent said.