Rising rake Jake Turpin is expected to stay at the Brisbane Broncos for another year, setting up a showdown with Andrew McCullough for the hooking role beyond 2020.
Turpin, 22, has made every post a winner since his NRL debut in round nine after McCullough went down with a knee injury.
So impressive has Turpin been that 246-game veteran McCullough has played from the bench upon returning to first grade a fortnight ago.
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There's been talk that Brisbane have tried to push McCullough out the door but the 246-game veteran is set to activate an option in his contract to remain at Brisbane next season.
Turpin, meanwhile, has recently been linked to various Sydney clubs including the Canterbury Bulldogs and Wests Tigers.
However, The Australian journalist Brent Read reports that Turpin will re-sign with the Broncos and back himself to upstage McCullough.
The news clouds the future of journeyman James Segeyaro, with the dynamic dummy-half uncontracted after this year having joined Brisbane in May on a short-term deal.
"It looks like Jake Turpin will sign for one more year at the Broncos and Andrew McCullough has taken up a one-year player option he had in his favour for next year," Read told Sporting News.
"Basically it looks like they'll shoot it out next year. The winner will get the contract beyond that and the loser might look for a new home.
"The Broncos will have a couple of good players there, a good hooker and good back-up regardless of which way they go. But they'll both be there next year by the looks of it."