And the central piece is
Sydney Roosters discard
Todd Carney: the clubs showing interest in Carney -
Cronulla,
South Sydney,
North Queensland Cowboys,
Gold Coast Titans and
Newcastle Knights - will also have an eye on Lui's future: .
It's no secret Cronulla have spoken to Carney, but the latest mail sugests he won't be wearing the black, white and blue next year.
The Titans are believed to have made an extremely modest offer that's very unlikely to be accepted.
Souths have repeatedly denied any interest in Carney, but that's not what his closest allies in Sydney say.
Carney has told friends he's open to becoming a Rabbitohs player. At the same time, however, he's also concerned about the Redfern club's reputation for strict behavioural rules that might lead to more broken promises.
At the very least, Carney is now mature enough to realise this has been his downfall - not drinking,
per se. He needs a strong mentor and there's none better than Wayne Bennett at Newcastle, which could squeeze Carney into their 2012 squad on match payments and then backload for future seasons.
Eternally hunting for a half to ride alongside
Johnathan Thurston, the Cowboys are now embarrassed for options. Lui is from Townsville and Carney also has a number of close friends in North Queensland from his 2009 exile in Atherton.
