Cronulla are refusing to rule out making a play for Mitchell Pearce as the disgruntled NRL star ponders his future at the Sydney Roosters.
Stung by the Roosters' signing of Melbourne, Queensland and Australian halfback Cooper Cronk, Pearce is holidaying in Hawaii amid talk he wants out of the remaining two years of his contract at Bondi.
Manly and Newcastle are believed to be leading the chase for the incumbent State of Origin No.7, but the Sharks have also been linked to the 28-year-old.
A move to the Shire would seem a great fit for Pearce, who could reunite with 2013 grand final-winning five-eighth James Maloney, who left the Roosters in 2015 and was instrumental in Cronulla's drought-breaking premiership triumph last year.
The Sharks also boast a host of Pearce's other 2017 NSW teammates including Wade Graham, Andrew Fifita and 2018 recruit Josh Dugan as well as former Blues captain Paul Gallen.
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The Sharks are well served in the halves with Maloney and title-winning No.7 Chad Townsend. But they have been chasing Penrith star Matt Moylan.
Coach Shane Flanagan declined to hose down talk the club were pursuing Pearce when asked to confirm or deny their interest on Wednesday.
"We don't comment on those type of things regarding possible recruitment," Flanagan said.
The Sharks are without a chief executive after Lyall Gorman's announcement this week that he is heading to Manly.
