ARU chief executive Bill Pulver says Benji Marshall is a unique athlete who can re-energise his career by moving to the 15-man code from rugby league.
New Zealander and long-time Wests Tigers NRL star Marshall has declared he wants to switch to rugby union and is a player of interest to the ARU despite reportedly having no desire to represent the Wallabies.
Pulver said he understood Marshall's manager had held discussions with the Waratahs and Rebels, while he had spoken to the player as well.
"Its pretty clear that there's interest in (Marshall) playing rugby next year, so some of the discussion really has to happen at a Super Rugby franchise level first," Pulver told AAP.
"I know that's going on, so we're keeping an open mind.
"My sense is he could really re-energise his career with a change to rugby, so it will be interesting.
"If we've got a chance to get hold of a truly elite athlete like that, it will be a very interesting opportunity."
Pulver said he was confident former NRL star and Wallabies newcomer Israel Folau would recommit to rugby union, but stressed no deal had been done yet despite speculation to the contrary.
"There's a degree of confidence that he's staying with the game, but he's not yet signed, so I won't be comfortable until it's done," Pulver said.
Folau on Friday was named by new Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie in the 40-man Wallabies training squad for the Rugby Championship starting next month.
"I wouldn't have picked him if I wasn't confident that he wasn't still going to be in rugby," McKenzie said.
He had no preference about whether Folau should play fullback or wing, saying the code hopper had performed well in both roles.
However, McKenzie said his fullback options are Folau, Jesse Mogg and James O'Connor.
Pulver said McKenzie was not under any pressure despite stating his tenure with back-to-back Rugby Championship matches against the world champion All Blacks.
The four-nation Rugby Championship isn't Pulver's major priority for the second half of the year.
"The (Australian) rugby community is desperate to get its hands back on the Bledisloe Cup," Pulver said, referring to the decade-long drought since Australia last held the symbol of trans-Tasman supremacy.
"The Rugby Championship is a wonderful tournament, but there is a real priority around winning the Bledisloe Cup.
"It's been away for way too long."
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