To paraphrase Diana Ross, the NRL is about to begin a chain reaction.

As Christmas approaches and teams look to get their rosters in shape before pre-season training steps up a gear, there are still a number of off-contract players looking for a home.

The man about to trigger it all is Jai Arrow.

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Round 20

The Gold Coast forward is set to meet with South Sydney in the coming days with a view to linking up with his old coach Wayne Bennett.

“We would like to have Jai at South Sydney,” Bennett said.

“Me and Jai work great together. He knows if he comes to South Sydney I will want him here. It’s a great club with a lot of tradition and Jai would fit in well here.”

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Arrow has a year to run on his deal at the Titans and could play out the 2020 season before swapping Robina for Redfern if that’s what he wants to do.

But Souths want him right here, right now, given the Sam Burgess-sized hole in their forward pack.

If Arrow does decide to head to South Sydney, that frees up the Titans with some hefty salary cap space to spend.

And that’s just Arrow’s money.

The Gold Coast have already tried to shop the likes of Leilani Latu, Shannon Boyd, Bryce Cartwright and Nathan Peats to rival NRL clubs.

All earn north of $500,000, so few teams are jumping up and down to match that cash for players who finished with a wooden spoon in one of the most uninspiring teams in the last decade of the NRL.

Imagine if they could offload one of that quartet, although, admittedly the Titans may have to chip in some of the cash to get them off the books.

Then add in Arrow’s salary and suddenly under one of the most-impressive and highly-sought after young coaches in the game in Justin Holbrook, the Titans can start to splash the cash.

The immediate solution for the Titans would be to blow it all on Latrell Mitchell.

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Mitchell, let’s not forget, has been linked to everyone from the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs to the Coonabarabran Unicorns.

For a struggling club, he ticks all the boxes.

Superstar player, tick.

Two-time premiership winner, tick.

International and state representative, tick.

But that comes with a risk.

Remember Jarryd Hayne?

Jarryd Hayne during his ill-fated spell with the Titans Source: AAP

Paying big money for stars who pop up on the open market doesn’t always work.

Add to that, too, that Mitchell reportedly wants to play fullback and the Titans have only just beaten other clubs to re-signing local junior AJ Brimson.

AJ Brimson scores for the Titans at the Magic Round Source: Getty Images

It seems a tad rushed.

If you were Brimson’s manager you would be asking why your player has just recommitted to a club, who now seem hellbent on rolling out the red carpet to welcome Mitchell.

Latrell Mitchell of the Roosters celebrates scoring a try against Penrith Source: Getty Images

It is perhaps not the most coherent recruitment strategy from a Titans’ perspective, but how often do players of Mitchell’s calibre come on the open market?

It also glosses over the fact that they are losing a forward, and replacing him with a centre-turned-fullback.

The Titans are known admirers of English forward Luke Thompson, who comes off contract next year, and he would be a ready-made replacement for Arrow.

Thompson worked with Titans coach Holbrook at St Helens and has also been linked to Souths.

Luke Thompson, Justin Holbrook and James Roby after the 2019 Super League grand final Source: Getty Images

There is of course, the possibility that Arrow opts to stay at the Titans.

Earlier this week he said: “I’ve spoken to Justin [Holbrook] about it, what better place to live than the Gold Coast?

“Play footy up here professionally and win games and potentially win a comp.

“That’s my goal, I’ve spoken about that – I want to win a comp and what better way to do it than in my hometown?

“Imagine the party the Gold Coast would throw if we won a comp.”

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If he does that, then the Bunnies will have to look elsewhere to bolster their pack.

And where that leaves Mitchell? Who knows.

The picture will be clearer in a few weeks time.

And, to borrow from Diana Ross again, it could turn the NRL upside down.