Shark target ... Ben Barba in action for Brisbane last season.

Barba made his name as a fullback and earned the game's top gong playing in the position for Canterbury during a breakthrough 2012 season, in which he scored 23 tries from 24 games. He has subsequently struggled to reproduce that form and again failed to meet expectations in his much-publicised shift to Brisbane.

However, the 25-year-old showed some promising signs toward the end of last season when handed the Broncos No.6 jersey. Those performances have piqued the interest of Cronulla powerbrokers, who view Barba as an ideal foil for reliable halfback Jeff Robson.

The Broncos have a surplus of fullbacks and five-eighths and are keen to move at least one of them on to free up salary cap space. Canberra recruit Anthony Milford has been identified as the long-term successor to champion pivot Darren Lockyer at Red Hill and is equally adept at playing fullback.

Wayne Bennett has gone on record as describing former Knight Darius Boyd as the club's best option for the No.1 jersey, while Justin Hodges has shown he can be just as devastating at the back as he is in the centres. Josh Hoffman, who has split his time between fullback and five-eighth, has been granted permission to negotiate with other clubs although the Broncos have promised to honour his contract should he wish to stay put.