THE Eels have discussed moving Nathan Peats to another club in their bid to get back under the salary cap in time for Friday’s showdown with Peats’ former club South Sydney.

Foxsports.com.au understands that if Peats is forced to leave, he has a strong preference to remain in Sydney.

So which club needs his services, bearing in mind they’ll come at a bargain price with the Eels already paying half his 2016 salary? And who has the salary cap room?

We take a look at the potential contenders for Peats’ signature in 2016 and beyond.

Round 19

TITANS

Gold Coast coach Neil Henry has space in the cap to move now on Peats. Picture Glenn Hampson Source: News Corp Australia

The Gold Coast are one of few clubs with the cap space right here, right now to pick Peats up at full market value if needed.

That they could get him at half price would undoubtedly prick up their ears. The prospect of picking up any Parramatta castaways already has, and contact has been made by the Eels.

Foxsports.com.au understands Titans officials have met to discuss the possibility of securing Peats, though Neil Henry is yet to determine whether he fits with his longterm strategy for the club.

Current hooker and co-captain Nathan Friend is off-contract and has had talks with the Titans about playing on next year but at 35, is not a longterm option, and isn’t chewing through too much cash in any case.

Deputy Kierran Moseley is off-contract too, as is utility Daniel Mortimer. Moseley has been invested in by the club for a few years now but remains a work in progress with only two games this year.

The Titans loom as a likely candidate but a move north of the border is a significant stumbling block to any deal.

DRAGONS

St. George Illawarra have been linked to plenty of off-contract playmakers of late, due to their faulty attack.

Parramatta have since made contact with the Dragons about potentially picking up Peats and a player of his calibre could offer the spark they so sorely need.

The club is well served at No.9 by local junior Mitch Rein but contract talks between he and the club have dragged on and he remains unsigned beyond 2016.

Mitch Rein could be a casualty of a Peats move to the Dragons. Source: Getty Images

Benji Marshall’s future is also clouded after he knocked back a $300,000 offer from the Red V.

With Peats’ market value beginning at around $500,000 a year, an offer from any club would need to start at this figure once 2016 is done and dusted.

The recent departure of Peter Mata’utia to the Knights is believed to have given them room to move this season.

The Dragons have had cap trouble in recent years but there is potential there for Peats to be picked out of the bargain bin this season, then paid his true worth in following years.

That scenario would require Rein and probably Marshall being shuffled on, while also affecting any bid for a replacement No. 7.

PANTHERS

Their hooking situation is by no means sorted beyond 2016, with James Segeyaro and Peter Wallace both off-contract at the end of the year.

A shift further west would also offer less disruption for Peats, though a complicating factor is the fact leading agent Sam Ayoub manages both Segeyaro and Peats.

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Penrith have spent a bit of their cap of late, recruiting Trent Merrin and shoring up the futures of a number of promising youngsters, but they do have room to move if willing to make a play at Peats.

BULLDOGS

The Dogs have put plenty into Michael Lichaa, who Ayoub also manages, with the former Sharks rake signed until the end of next year.

With lucrative long term deals for David Klemmer, Josh Jackson and Moses Mbye being massaged through, there’s little space in Canterbury’s cap this season.

RABBITOHS

Souths are full up with two promising young hookers in Damien Cook and Cameron McInnes signed until 2017 but their status as heavy hitters in the recruitment game means they can’t be ruled out.

Peats, as a La Perouse junior, has plenty of fans at the club and shake-ups to the South roster have been predicted, with Shane Richardson coming back on deck and Michael Maguire’s side battling.

Souths are believed to have some room to move in their cap but whether there’s enough to secure a return for Peats in short time seems unlikely.

ROOSTERS

The Chooks have the salary cap space — with up to a reported $600,000 set aside for a marquee man like Sonny Bill Williams or Jarryd Hayne.

But they also have club captain Jake Friend filling the No. 9 jumper and locked down until the end of 2018. Very unlikely.

TIGERS

Robbie Farah heads a lengthy list of hookers at Concord. Picture Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia

The Tigers have an abundance of hookers with Robbie Farah, Matt Ballin, Dene Halatau and promising youngster on their books, as well as latest recruit Elijah Taylor.

They’ve also had cap issues for the past two years and young playmakers Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses off-contract. Won’t be entering the equation.

SHARKS

A possibility given it’s believed they have wiggle room as far as salary cap spending goes, especially with veterans Luke Lewis, Paul Gallen, Chris Heighington and Michael Ennis off-contract beyond the end of the year.

But with Ennis playing the house down and the Sharks looking a genuine title shot, the club and his management are well down the path toward a contract extension for 2017.

In the interim there’s little room for Peats in 2016, and no need to rock the boat when Cronulla are travelling so well.

SEA EAGLES

Recruited Apisai Koroisau and Matt Parcell in the off-season and both are travelling well. No need to look at Peats, and not enough cap space to either.

KNIGHTS

Could certainly use a player of Peats’ ability but Nathan Bown has big raps on young Newcastle hooker Danny Levy. The Knights salary cap would also require some serious rejigging for a bid to be made.

The Broncos, Cowboys, Storm, Warriors and Raiders don’t seriously enter the equation given these clubs are all flush for long term, top quality hooking options, and are understood to not have enough salary cap space.

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