LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
In the wake of the abrupt exits of footy stars Ryan Papenhuyzen and Zac Lomax, following speculation about Payne Haas's shrouded future, the messages sent across the media boardrooms all seem to contain the same name: R360 is the culprit.
The rebel competition was greeted with controversy, with the union and the NRL itself imposing consequences on players caught dealing with them. In the NRL, this comes with a 10-year, career-jeopardising ban from the competition.
No player has yet had the ban imposed upon them, yet with unexpected exits of a select few players confirmed in the off-season, the media continues to jump to conclusions over where they seem to be headed.
In this article, we will follow the predicted futures of three main players: Ryan Papenhuyzen, Payne Haas, and Zac Lomax, three players that the NRL community have held their breath for, in anticipation of their final decisions.
Ryan Papenhuyzen
The flying mullet of the Melbourne Storm has not yet communicated any formal plans beyond the vague quote that he wished to "explore life beyond rugby league."
His exit came as a shock to the rugby league community, with the media instantly taking advantage of this and linking his exit to a potential R360 call-up.