JARRYD Hayne for the Cronulla Sharks/Brisbane Broncos/insert team of choice? Surely it has to be the most outlandish rumour of the annual NRL silly season.
Yet that was the hot tip floating around on social media on Wednesday, as unlikely as it may seem.
Hayne is considering his options after his reality check in San Francisco, where after six NFL games the 49ers have demoted him to their practice squad.
The 27-year-old is not expected to be required again this season, leaving him pondering three alternatives: (a) trying to win a 49ers recall during the off-season, (b) linking with a new franchise or (c) returning to Australia to resume his rugby league career.
If his former Parramatta teammate Tim Mannah is any judge, Hayne will not abandon his American dream without a fight.
"I think he's a very driven bloke, he has a point to prove over there and I don't know that he is coming back any time soon," Mannah said last week.
Well-connected media types were offering contrasting viewpoints on Wednesday.
If indeed Hayne does feel inclined to return to the NRL, he would rate as one of the most coveted free agents in the code's history.
Just how many clubs could accommodate him at this late point in proceedings is another matter altogether.
It is hard to imagine the Eels, after their salary-cap dramas of last season, having the necessary funds to bring their prodigal son home.
Hayne has been repeatedly linked to the Roosters, but even after the departures of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and James Maloney they still boast an all-star roster. If they can squeeze Hayne in at Bondi Junction, fans of other clubs will be left shaking their heads.
Cronulla/Brisbane/insert team of choice in contrast, have been biding their time and may be one of the few NRL clubs with disposable cash to embark on a belated spending spree.
Since the end of last season, the Sharks have parted company with Blake Ayshford, Michael Gordon, Jeff Robson, Anthony Tupou and Kyle Stanley.
Josh Addo-Carr and Tinirau Arona have also followed them out the back door.
In terms of incoming personnel, Cronulla have signed USA captain Joseph Paulo, former NSW halfback James Maloney, Trent Hodkinson, Kurt Capwell, Jordan Drew and a handful of players not fully tested at first-grade level.
It would seem logical to assume the Sharks have a significant surplus and are waiting for the right moment to sign the right player.
Could that man be Hayne?
Would he really be interested in playing for the NRL's most under-achieved club, and living in Sydney's Shire, away from his church and friends? Would the Sharks be glamorous enough for such an out-and-out superstar?
Coach Shane Flanagan was keeping his cards close to his chest on Wednesday, saying he had "nothing to update regarding recruitment".
Circumspection would appear a wise policy after reports that Tiger Robbie Farah knocked back an offer to join Cronulla last month.
If it is true that the Sharks couldn't entice a player of Farah's calibre on board, fans might be entitled to wonder how they could possibly sign Hayne.
Stranger things have happened, perhaps, but despite the speculation that surfaced on Wednesday, many will find it hard to believe the Hayne Plane will ever land in Cronulla.
