Manly back-rower Tony Williams’ likely move to Canterbury could ensure that hooker Matt Ballin re-signs long-term with the NRL premiers.
Ballin has been strongly linked to a move away from the Sea Eagles, with Canberra and North Queensland the front-runners for his signature.
But with Williams expected to ink a lucrative deal with the Bulldogs as soon as next week, it is understood Manly have switched their focus to Ballin and fullback Brett Stewart.
Canberra chief executive Don Furner believes the Sea Eagles are in the box seat to retain Ballin, especially if Williams does decide to leave.
“My understanding is that they’re stalling for time so they can work out ways to keep him,” Furner told AAP.
“My understanding is (Williams and Stewart) were the two priorities they were trying to keep first, but maybe now they know Tony Williams is going and they’ve jumped into Matty?”
Furner retains some hope that the Raiders can lure Ballin, but admits they need an answer soon, telling Ballin they want to know his position by the end of the weekend.
“We’ve let them know that we haven’t got a lot of time left and to let us know one way or the other,” Furner said.
“We’re not going to pull the offer or anything, but we’d certainly like to know by Sunday.
“Hopefully Manly work out what they’re doing with him because I think they’ve been stalling him for a fair while.
“If they stop dragging their heels and decide to put in a good offer for him, and he weighs it up and says `it’s not worth moving my family to Canberra’ for that, then he probably won’t come.
“But we’re still hopeful that if he is forced out of there for salary cap reasons, then he’d come to our club.”
The Sea Eagles have faced serious salary cap pressure already in 2012, fighting hard to re-sign international trio Kieran Foran, Daly Cherry-Evans and Steve Matai.
But they face a tough task trying to keep their remaining off-contract stars which in addition to Ballin, Stewart and Williams also includes young prop Darcy Lussick, strongly linked to Parramatta, and winger David Williams.