As the Waratahs close in on luring home Test veteran Bernard Foley, Wallabies incumbent playmaker Tane Edmed has been left out of Joe Schmidt's wider squad ahead of July's Nations Championship Tests.
The 25-year-old featured in the Wallabies' last six Tests in 2026, including in the No.10 jersey during their final match loss at the Stade de France, but has been axed completely after a frustrating season at the Brumbies.
Despite being lured to Canberra by Stephen Larkham after a roller-coaster ride under Dan McKellar in 2025, Edmed sat on the bench for most of the season. His sole start came in the Brumbies' heavy 42-27 loss to the Drua in Fiji.
It's understood that he has been replaced in the squad by his Brumbies teammate Declan Meredith.
The 26-year-old has been included in an unofficial Players of National Interest [PONI] squad and is firming to be the third playmaker in Schmidt's last Wallabies squad.
The wider squad, which doesn't include any international players, is thought to include around 40 players.
The official squad will be named late next week after three days of training and will be trimmed to around 36. It's believed overseas stars Angus Bell, Taniela Tupou and Tom Hooper will be selected.
Japan-based playmaker Noah Lolesio won't be amongst them.
Instead, Joe Schmidt will back Meredith alongside the Force's Ben Donaldson and Reds playmaker Carter Gordon.
Fellow Test playmaker Tom Lynagh, who started all three Tests against the Lions last year, will be encouraged to return via club rugby after playing for the Reds just once this year - a brief 20-minute cameo off the bench against the Hurricanes in late March.
There's also no room for Super Rugby rookies Zac Lomax and Sid Harvey.
Ex-State of Origin star Lomax has been battling a groin niggle, while Harvey is considered a player for the future and will likely be in the mix to join the Test squad later in the year once Les Kiss takes over.
Uncapped midfielders David Feliaui (Brumbies) and Isaac Henry (Reds) are believed to be included in the PONI squad, but neither are foregone conclusions to make the official squad later next week. Henry is understood to be closer, especially after Hunter Paisami's injury (MCL).
Brumbies back-rower Rory Scott could be the big mover in this year's squad, with the versatile loose-forward believed to be knocking on the door.
Rising lock Lachie Shaw joins the uncapped loose-forward in the PONI squad. He is one of two Brumbies locks included alongside Nick Frost, who will need to show selectors that he's still good enough for international duty after a poor season.
Reds lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto will likely start against Ireland on July 4 in Sydney, while his Super Rugby teammate Josh Canham is also in the mix. As is Force captain Jeremy Williams.
With Bell and Tupou missing, and a couple of niggles restricting the availability of Wallabies regular Tom Robertson and Reds-bound Tom Lambert, it's believed the net has been cast wide to find front-rowers.
Reds duo Zane Nonggorr and Massimo de Lutiis are in the mix for the wider squad, with only one of the pair likely to make the final squad.
Billy Pollard is one of four hookers in the mix along with Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Reds duo Matt Faessler and Josh Nasser. Lachie Lonergan wasn't picked.
Meanwhile, the stars appear to be aligning for Foley to return to the Waratahs after a cleanout in the inside channels.
All three players who wore the No.10 jersey in 2026 - Jack Bowen, Jack Debreczeni and Lawson Creighton - are expected to leave the Super Rugby franchise.
Creighton is expected to join his former Reds teammates Liam Wright and Ryan Smith at Ospreys, Bowen is believed to have been told to look elsewhere, and Debreczeni is set to hang up the boots.
And with only Force recruit Max Burey and former under-20s playmaker Joey Fowler on the books, it's understood the Waratahs are throwing everything at Foley to bring the experienced playmaker back seven years after he left the franchise he took to its sole Super Rugby title in 2014.
Foley, 36, is coming off a season where he lead Kubota Spears to a second straight League One Final, having guided them to the premiership in 2023.
A number of Australian-based coaches in Japan believe Foley could still add plenty to Australian rugby.
Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper said Foley would add plenty to the Waratahs and said he expected him to force his way back into the conversation for a Test return. "Rewind 12 months ago, I think he should have been a part of the Lions squad," Hooper said.
"He's got a lot of experience. He knows how to manage a team. We saw what James O'Connor did in fits and spurts last year with experience.
"You see all the other 10s around the world who have some experience in how they can manage and move a team around.
"I'd be in favour of it."
Another former Wallaby Matt Giteau, who played alongside Foley at the 2015 World Cup, agreed that Foley would add plenty to Australian rugby.
"I think experience adds for a lot," Giteau said.
"It's not even what he can add necessarily game day, but it's throughout the week. You can learn so much.
"If there's a certain picture that some of the tens haven't seen, at least Nard's [Foley] been there and he's seen it all, and he can say, 'Well, what I would do is this.'
"He'd add a lot of composure to the group.
"You've been in all sorts of different situations. I think even if you go behind in a game, who do the younger kids look to? They're going to look to the leaders to give them direction and then they'll follow.
"They just need a picture, because when you start a game, you're just thinking about best case. We want to go here, score here, do this. When things aren't going well, that's when your leaders can stand up. They give you direction.
"I mean, he's just a big game player. I loved playing with Nard, and I think he has a lot of respect from the boys as well. So he can add plenty."