NRL clubs have started picking up the phones and pulling out their cheque books.

A bidding war is officially under way.

November 1 marks the day NRL clubs are allowed to start official talks with players who come off-contract at the end of 2017.

To give you an idea of the magnitude, that’s over $60 million worth of talent up for grabs.

Round 20

For clubs like Cronulla and Brisbane who have several of the game’s most exciting young talents entering the open market, they are bracing themselves for a fight.

And it could get very messy, very quickly.

For North Queensland it means putting the gloves on as they wrestle to keep 18-year-old sensation Kalyn Ponga.

Canterbury, St George Illawarra, Newcastle, Melbourne, Brisbane, Parramatta and the Gold Coast are all reportedly interested in Ponga.

But he’s not the only player the club will be negotiating with as the Cowboys have seven regular first graders off-contract, including the last two Dally M Medallists, Jason Taumalolo and Johnathan Thurston as well as co-captain Matt Scott and Origin player Gavin Cooper.

Matt Scott and Johnathan Thurston in action. Source: News Corp Australia

Thurston is expected to re-sign for another 12 months before the season starts and Scott hopes he can be standing alongside the superstar when he finally hangs up the boots.

“We have spoken about wanting to stay at the club together and finish our careers there,” Scott told foxsports.com.au.

“I’m not too sure where he’s at along the lines of contract decisions but what he does will probably have an impact on me. I can’t imagine him leaving but it’d be a nice way to finish if we could both finish at the Cowboys.”

The Broncos have 14 top line NRL regulars off-contract including massive names such as Josh McGuire, Darius Boyd, Adam Blair, Alex Glenn, Ben Hunt, Andrew McCullough, Anthony Milford, Corey Oates and James Roberts.

Anthony Milford of the Broncos looks to pass. Source: Getty Images

Milford is poised to become the game’s next $1 million man with a long queue expected to form for the 22-year-old.

Roberts will have plenty of attention despite a mixed year with the Broncos, with the centre able to command huge money in rugby should he want to follow in the footsteps of fellow code hoppers Israel Folau and Karmichael Hunt.

However, it is understood Roberts wants to stay at the Broncos.

Wests Tigers will be one of the most nervous clubs with their exciting young spine and skipper all off-contract at the same time.

Aaron Woods, Mitchell Moses, James Tedesco, Luke Brooks, David Nofoaluma and Tim Simona are all fair game.

The trio of Tedesco, Brooks and Moses have previously stated their desire to stay together and attempt to build a Melbourne-like big three but the reality is that the club is at long odds to make that happen.

James Tedesco and Aaron Woods are both off contract. Source: News Corp Australia

Brooks and Moses will command price tags upwards of $650,000-a-season, while Tedesco, the NSW Origin No.1 will be chasing a deal worth around $800,000.

“It’s going to be a really big year for the Tigers,” Tedesco said of next season.

“I can only see us going on the up. I’m off contract but obviously just looking to play my normal game ... You don’t want to put it on your mind too much and then your minds not on the game. If I can clear that from my mind and take it one game at a time, that’s when I’ll play my best footy.”

The Sharks have 10 first grade regulars including Valentine Holmes, Jack Bird, Wade Graham, Ben Barba and Chad Townsend.

Already Newcastle have identified Holmes as a prime target, with a plan to make a young gun their No.1 in 2018. They are also in the mix for Ponga.

Look for St George Illawarra to make a serious play for Bird in a bid to get the local junior back to play in the halves.

Valentine Holmes of the Sharks scores a try. Source: News Corp Australia

The Dragons have a handful of top names including Gareth Widdop, Josh Dugan and Jack de Belin.

Penrith too have a fight on their hands with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Waqa Blake and Dean Whare off-contract.

With several of their big names contracted until 2018, including a number of well paid forwards, the Panthers are almost certain to lose one of the above mentioned names.

Several clubs were hard at work over the off-season, fast-tracking paperwork to keep their stars before they hit the open market.

South Sydney were busy, re-signing Greg Inglis and Adam Reynolds in early October.

Manly also did some good business, re-signing the in-demand Trbojevic brothers Tom and Jake until the end of 2020 on multi-million dollar deals. They also extended Marty Taupau.

Tom Trbojevic and Jake Trbojevic during Manly training. Source: News Corp Australia

This week player managers from around the country emailed their lists of off-contract stars to clubs both in Australia and England.

The likes of Gold Coast star Ryan James and Melbourne giant Jordan McLean will all feature on these list.

The halves are a whole other ball game with Shaun Johnson, Mitchell Pearce, Kieran Foran, Josh Reynolds, Chad Townsend and Thurston free agents.

For teams like the Knights, who are in a rebuilding phase, November marks the date they can get serious about the club’s transformation.

They have the bulk of their squad off-contract at the end of next season which essentially gives them a clean slate from the salary cap mess which has handcuffed them, resulting in just one win and a draw in 2016 to claim the wooden spoon.

While Canberra’s roster remains relatively settled with Edrick Lee and Jordan Rapana the biggest names off contract, expect Parramatta to be very active in the market.

Tepai Moeroa of the Eels is tackled. Source: Getty Images

They have 10 first graders off-contract including Semi Radradra, Tepai Moeroa, Clint Gutherson and Tim Mannah.

A player like Moeroa, who will push for a NSW Origin jersey in coming seasons, will command in the vicinity of $600,000-a-year.

Like Roberts, expect rugby clubs to chase 21-year-old Moeroa as he played the game as a junior with highly respected college Newington.

The Roosters will have to fight for more than just Pearce with 12 NRL regulars unsigned.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Blake Ferguson, Kane Evans, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Daniel Tupou and Connor Watson feature on that list.

This writer is on Twitter @Nath_Ryan

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