Golden Boot winner Tommy Makinson is not heading to Newcastle to play NRL - yet.
Knights coach Nathan Brown has dismissed speculation the England Test winger is Newcastle-bound in 2019 but has kept the door open for a 2020 reunion with his former St Helens charge.
The Saints' flyer was largely unheralded in Australia before he was a shock Golden Boot winner last month ahead of James Tedesco, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Elliott Whitehead.
NSW great Brad Fittler even claimed it was "totally ridiculous" to give the award to Makinson, saying he had never seen him play.
But Makinson is turning heads Down Under, sending the rumour mill into overdrive after being spotted chatting with Brown on Monday in Newcastle.
And Brown hasn't done anything to slow it down, claiming Makinson would be headed to the NRL in 2020 - hopefully at Newcastle.
Makinson, contracted to Super League giants St Helens until 2021, made it clear he wanted to break into the NRL when receiving the Golden Boot award.
However, Brown said NRL fans would see Makinson sooner rather than later.
"Tommy is definitely playing with St Helens next year," Brown told the Knights' website.
"Tommy's desire is to come out at the end of next year.
"Would we be interested in Tommy if we were looking at those positions? "Certainly - he's a terrific player but he's got four or five clubs already interested in him."
Brown confirmed a meeting with Makinson, who he had kept in touch with since a stint as St Helens coach from 2013-14.
UK reports claimed Makinson might be in the Knights' sights after winger Ken Sio moved to Super League club Salford.
But Brown said he was simply giving Makinson advice.
"My family and Tommy's family have a good relationship from my time back in England," he said.
"We caught up for a catch-up and Tommy has expressed an interest in coming to the NRL and living in Australia.
"He has a number of clubs he's looking at and he asked me for advice. That's pretty much what it was."
Newcastle have bolstered their backline for 2019, signing ex-Cronulla speedsters Jesse Ramien and Edrick Lee.
Brown has not ruled out seeing Makinson in Knights colours in 2020 if the right deal is made with Saints.
"For anyone who plays with a club in England and is a high talent like Tommy, the English clubs don't let them go for free," Brown said.
"There's transfer fees and player swaps. There's a lot of water to go under the bridge.
"My advice to him would be to sit down with St Helens and organise something soon."
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