FROM Canberra to Townsville, St George Illawarra coach Steve Price is scouring the NRL landscape for a playmaker capable of regenerating his club into a premiership force.
Ben Hornby's retirement and Kyle Stanley's ACL injury have left Price in dire straits for a top shelf No.7 despite signing Manly young gun Josh Drinkwater to a full-time deal.
We've heard Price is now considering a play for either Josh McCrone or Sam Williams, both of whom happen to be contracted to Canberra for next season.
The theory is one of the in-form pair will become superfluous when Raiders skipper Terry Campese returns from injury early next season.
But the really interesting mail is Price's pursuit for exiled Cowboys No.7 Robert Lui. Inquiries have been made about Lui's availability for 2013, but he's also under contract.
Although Michael Morgan's end-of-season form will make a return to first grade in Townsville challenging for Lui, there are other considerations that will most probably prevent him from moving south.
Despite their well-documented issues, Lui and partner Taleah Backo have settled in the tropics.
Friends and family are concerned about the couple moving away from their support networks.
Then there's the Cowboys, who have unsuccessfully tried to convince the NRL to allow Lui to play again this year.
They'll want a return on that investment for 2013, particularly given the fact they've continued to honour Lui's $200,000 salary.
Cronulla NSW Cup half Chad Townsend is another option.
But with Todd Carney's preparation for the 2013 campaign thrown into chaos because of a snapped achilles tendon, we can't fathom why Sharks coach Shane Flanagan would release his best deputy.
