The Warriors are willing to rewrite the record books and make Jason Taumalolo the first forward to be paid $1 million a season in rugby league history.

The second-rower, who had a huge campaign for the Kiwis in last year's Four Nations and has been labelled the next Sonny Bill Williams, comes off contract at the end of the season and Sunday News can reveal that the Warriors have joined the race to lure him away from the Cowboys for 2016.

The Sharks, Sea Eagles, Eels and Roosters are also chasing Taumalolo and we can reveal the Bulldogs are also in the hunt.

Taumalolo was born in Auckland and grew up in Mangere before he was scouted by the Cowboys and moved to Townsville at the age of 12.

While he played for Australian schoolboys when he was 16 and represented Tonga at the 2013 World Cup, he remained a passionate New Zealander and turned down a State of Origin jersey with Queensland.

Halves and fullbacks have traditionally been the highest-paid players in the NRL, with the likes of Johnathan Thurston, Greg Inglis, Billy Slater and Daly Cherry-Evans topping the list as the biggest earners. Williams was reportedly paid $700,000 last year to play for the Roosters but with Taumalolo still only 21 and already one of the leading players in the game, the million-dollar price tag could be a bargain if he continues to develop.

To put the offer for Taumalolo into some perspective, the Warriors' State of Origin prop, Jacob Lillyman, last year signed a three-year deal for $1.2 million and it would be a formidable back-row at the club with Taumalolo, Simon Mannering and Ryan Hoffman.

Even if Taumalolo ends up at a Sydney club, the fact that the Warriors are going after players like him and Kieran Foran shows how ambitious they are and that they want to be regarded as one of the power-houses of the competition.

Meanwhile, the club will soon open negotiations with Konrad Hurrell's management over a new contract. Hurrell's deal he signed midway through the 2012 season comes to an end this year, something that the other 15 NRL sides and European rugby clubs are well aware of.

While the Warriors hold an option to extend his contract for another year, they realise it's better for them to renegotiate another long-term contract early this season.

The 23-year-old had the best season of his career last year and has impressed the coaches with his professional attitude to training and preparation. He is one of the most deadly centres in the NRL and a number of clubs have already made it know that they'd love to have him.

For the future success of the Warriors they need to hold onto Hurrell and it would also go down badly with the club's members and fans if one of their favourite players was allowed to leave. That leaves Hurrell in the box seat over those negotiations and he's sure to be looking for a contract of upwards of $300,000 a year, which is what the club were prepared to pay Steve Matai if he was able to get out of his Sea Eagles deal.