IT WILL be hailed as the biggest signing in Group 3 rugby league if it comes to fruition.
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Port City Breakers are hopeful that Port Macquarie will play home to Jamal Idris with the National Rugby League superstar weighing up an offer from the club where he would line up alongside his cousin, Thomas Dooker.
The country rugby league community would be buzzing if Idris declares himself a certain starter for the Breakers.
Idris grew up in Forster and is eager to escape the fishbowl life of Sydney where the pressure and expectations were mounting by the game.
His talent is undeniable. His brute size and strength meant he became one of the game's power house centres, devastating opponents week in, week out.
In a tumultuous career thus far, Idris has had a rough couple of seasons playing for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League.
He burst onto the NRL scene in amazing fashion, playing with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in 2008.
His rise to stardom was quick, with experts almost immediately comparing him to some of the greats of the game and declaring him a future superstar.
He did not prove them wrong. He soon found himself in the NSW State of Origin jersey, followed by a Kangaroos cap in which he represented Australia in 2011.
Superstar status earned him a multi-million dollar contract with the Gold Coast Titans but homesickness saw a move closer to family in Sydney where he has been playing with the Panthers since 2014.
A multitude of injuries has hampered Idris' previous couple of seasons in the NRL and he has now asked for leave from the club on compassionate grounds, which he has been granted.
Earlier this year the 24-year-old had surgery on his back to remove some of his vertebrae and fix nerve damage to the left side of his lower body.
He was due to head to South Africa this week, and Idris will make a decision in January or February.
One thing is certain: He won't feature in the NRL in 2016, with Port Macquarie his most likely destination.
The club, headed by new coach Digby Murray, has already strengthened its squad with a host of signings.
Speedy outside back Oral Monaghan will join former South Sydney Rabbitohs under-20s player of the year Mal Webster, Kurtley Scott and Adam McMurray from Wauchope, Korie Paio from rugby union, Gary Bywater from Western Australia and Windsor Wolves stalwart Ben Stewart.
The gains aren't without the losses, with Trae Clarke, Taylor Ridland and Kurt Lewis moving on.
Murray said all but one of the players had approached the club looking for a spot in the squad.
"Ben Stewart is a talent I identified and is the only one we have chased," he said.
"We heard he was moving to town and I heard about his rugby league background and thought he would be a great asset to the club.
"These guys have approached us, we haven't chased them. They have come looking for a spot and we are more than happy to look at their credentials and sign them if they suit what we are looking for."
Murray said the Breakers were still looking to keep as many of their 2015 players and locals as possible.
The competition kicks off in April.
