The Mole: Off-contract Sharks star Jesse Ramien spotted meeting with rival coach

Hard-running Sharks centre Jesse Ramien could be heading for the Cowboys next year.

Ramien was spotted by Wide World of Sports having coffee with Cowboys coach Todd Payten and recruitment boss Clint Zammit on Thursday at Brighton in Sydney's south.

Cronulla have a dozen players coming off contract at year's end and need to upgrade several of their young stars.

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As a result, they will have to farewell at least two established players, with Indigenous All Stars centre Ramien believed to be high on the list of likely candidates.

The 28-year-old has played over 150 games for the Sharks since debuting in 2017 and has played his entire career at the club - with the exception of one year at the Knights.

Payten, in Sydney for Saturday's vital clash with the Tigers, took the opportunity to sit down with the 28-year-old for a discussion about his future - but Ramien, who has also played for the Prime Minister's XIII, is expected to be in hot demand.

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Both new franchises - Perth (2027) and Papua New Guinea (2028) are known to be interested in his services.

Ramien, who was in red-hot form in the round one demolition of the Titans, lines up for the Sharks against Penrith on Saturday evening.