Rugby Australia has made Roosters star Angus Crichton a two-year $1.6m offer just days after the Wallabies were reduced to their worst ever World Cup performance.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Crichton has been offered a package deal between the governing body and the Perth Super Rugby franchise the Western Force for 2024 and 2025.
The Roosters will already lose Joseph Suaalii to rugby at the end of the 2024 season on a $1.6 million a year deal.
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Crichton is contracted to the Roosters until the end of 2024, but has been given the club's permission to explore a return to the 15-man game, in which he shot to prominence as a schoolboy.
Crichton's departure would free up some salary cap room for the tri-colours, who are in the midst of extension negotiations with Siua Wong and Terrell May.
Crichton attended prestigious Sydney private school Scots College, where he was a first XV star. He also made the Australian schoolboy side.
He got his first taste of league in 2014, playing a handful of games for the Roosters' lower grade teams before returning to rugby.
But at the end of 2014, he signed a two-year deal with the Rabbitohs for 2015 and made his first grade debut in 2016.
He spent three years at the Burrow before moving to the chooks for the 2019 season.
Following confirmation of Suaalii's pending defection, reports emerged the Roosters were considering releasing him from the final year of his contract.
The reports prompted Rugby Australia to go public with their desires to lure not only Crichton, but Roosters coach Trent Robinson.
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"This is how league treat their players – Joseph (Suaalii) was the hottest star in league a month ago, now they don't want him," Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan said in May.
"If you're an aspiring cross-code star remember this is the treatment you could get. I told league not to be punitive, and that's exactly what they have done.
And of Robinson: "I rate Trent, but I wonder how he can coach in an environment like that when there is such a ruthless attitude towards young players".
"Trent would do well as a rugby coach."
After the loss to Wales resigned the Wallabies to a World Cup group stage exit, Rugby Australia announced they would conduct a review into their elite program.
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