The odds of Raiders five-eighth Jason Smith joining the Sydney Roosters next season have firmed dramatically following a phone call from former teammate Jim Dymock.
The Canberra Times can reveal Dymock, Smith's one-time Parramatta, Canterbury and Hull teammate and now the Roosters' Jersey Flegg coach, phoned the veteran playmaker on Saturday to sound him out about a possible move to the 2002 premiers next season.
Smith had already been linked with Canberra, South Sydney and the North Queensland Cowboys but the club's three respective chief executives - Simon Hawkins, Shane Richardson and Peter Parr - have all confirmed they would not be making offers to the 34-year-old.
Smith's manager Sam Ayoub also remained adamant there still remained another club outside of the Roosters in the hunt for his client's signature but would not reveal which one it was.
Should Smith sign with the Roosters his role would be similar to what he has done during his two years in Canberra, assisting in the development of the club's young halves.
"I haven't seen too much of [the Roosters' halves] but from what I've heard of Jamie Soward, he's going to be the next big thing," Smith said.
"And apparently the young bloke, [Josh] Lewis, there's a lot of people that have got big wraps on him as well, so that'd be great to work with the young kids.
"You have a look at their halves now, they were the State of Origin halves in games one and two, and you have a look at Ashley Harrison who's a Queensland player, Chris Flannery's a Queenslander, Anthony Minichiello's one of the best players in the game - they have got decent players there."
Smith joined his teammates in their penultimate training session yesterday before Saturday's crucial round 18 clash against the Panthers in Penrith
