Broncos star Payne Haas is locked in a legal battle with his ex-manager and there’s a Sydney club keeping a close eye on the outcome.

The Broncos also have a contingency plan in place if they do lose the representative prop and could use the freed up cash to lure back an ex-player.

Meanwhile, despite rumours of unrest a Raiders star is looking to extend his time with the club and their long-term hooker option is set to re-sign.

Long-term hooker Josh Hodgson will depart to the Eels after the 2022 season and Starling’s signature shows long term faith in the young gun.

Last year Starling and Hodgson battled it out for the number nine jersey, forcing Stuart to utilise to English international as a utility at times.

Starling made his debut in 2018 with the Knights and has played a total of 37 games after making the move to the nation’s capital in 2019.

19 of his appearances came in 2021 and Starling will have his chance to stake his claim for the number nine jersey when the Raiders take on the Roosters and Sea Eagles in pre-season trials.

The Roosters are reportedly “very interested” in Payne Haas and there’s some scary parallels between his contract situation and an ex-Rooster.

Haas is signed to the Broncos until the end of 2024. But he is currently locked in a contract dispute with his ex-manager, Chris Orr and if he wins the legal battle his contract could be null and void.

This would open the door for the Roosters to strike, according to News Corp’s Phil Rothfield.

“Payne Haas is an identical story to Sonny Billy Williams in 2008 at the Bulldogs, which is a huge concern for the Broncos,” Rothfield told Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast.

“Sonny Bill was managed by the Orr brothers, Payne Haas is managed by the Orr brothers. At the time Sonny Bill walked out on the Bulldogs in that well-publicised incident to play in Europe because he wasn’t happy with his contract at the Bulldogs. Khoder Nasser took over Sonny Bill’s contract at that time.

“Payne Haas has left the Orr brothers, Khoder Nasser has stepped in as has Sonny Bill Williams as his Adviser.”

“He’s not happy with his contract. He was on $548,000 with the Broncos, put him onto the open market and he’d be on $1 million a year so that’s got to be sorted out.

“I keep hearing the Roosters are very, very interested in him. He’s still under contract with the Broncos for another three years but will that be declared null and void if he wins this case against the Orr brothers? It’s a really interesting story with Haas and his future at the Broncos.”

As one of the best props in the game, Haas would demand a starting spot at any club. The Roosters currently boast the likes of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Siosiua Taukeiaho and Lindsay Collins as prop options but 33-year-old Waerea-Hargreaves comes off contract at the end of 2023 and Taukeiaho has been linked to the Super League for next season.