Some of the biggest stars in Super League, such as Leon Pryce and James Roby, are strongly tipped to be transfer targets for rugby union.
With the senior stars in Brian Ashton's England squad leaving the stage, a rebuilding programme ahead of the next World Cup may well lead to more league stars being headhunted.
Jason Robinson was the first to defect, then off went Andrew Farrell - crushing blows for club and country.
And the question now is just who will be the next enticed by an offer that is simply too good to turn down.
The possibilities are plentiful when one studies the array of emerging talent on view in the current Great Britain squad.
The wolf again appears to be at the back door and the RFL, as the game's governing body, must realise this and act fast to protect its own endangered species.
The modern-day Super League player is now ideally suited to meet the demands of a cross-code switch. He is exactly what international rugby union needs.
Players such as St Helens star Pryce, who has already hinted that a spell in union appeals greatly, are big, robust, mobile and muscular.
They are cut out to have an immediate impact on a more defence-orientated union game.
Collisions
Union is now a totally different ball game from when Phil Bennett and Gareth Edwards ran amok through paper-thin tackles.
The emphasis is now on power players and high-speed collisions. League players are masters of this and expect to be targeted.
Look at Australia for proof of how high-profile league stars can be enticed. The RFL has to go on the defensive and be firm in handing off new investors.
Rugby league is a sport on the up and to lose more superstars would be criminal.
Maybe it could be wise for the RFL to keep a closer check on the activities of some players' agents.
There are good ones and bad ones but many of these representatives are, obviously, only interested in making a fast buck for both themselves and their star clients.
They neither care for the best interests of either union or league and, in many cases, they are the ones who are alerting the RFU.
Maybe this is a case of the enemy coming from within. But the enemy is definitely poised to raid the league ranks, and a new generation of Robinsons and Farrells could be about to blaze a trail away from league.
There have been players who have gone to union, failed and returned but league simply cannot afford to see Leon Pryce and James Roby slip through the net like the famous Wigan pair of Robinson and Farrell.
Roby, the newly crowned Man of Steel, played rugby union at the famous Cowley establishment in St Helens.
He progressed to Saints, and this is where he should stay.
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It is hard for a RL star to ignore the money being offered by Union nations. However The RFL should realize this and exempt obvious targets from the RL salary cap. Each Super league club should be able to designate one player exempt and be allowed to pay him an over the top salary. There is no doubt that in RL ,the player will see more of the ball and be able to score more tries than in RU. For instance, england can only seem to score via the penalty route.Shame on them! Torred, Toronto
If the Chev Walker and Andy Farrell episodes are anything to go off players would have to be very gaurded on deciding this path. For the likes of Farrell who's past his best it really doesn't matter but certainly to loose up and coming stars would be disastrous.The design of the competition is already short of local talent with the absolutely rediculous quota of overseas players.Thankfully for Superleague English players haven't either the talent or confidence to play in Australia, if this were the case where would that leave the English Game.We'd be watching a Hull Derby with no English Players.
It will be a crime if the very promising James Roby is allowed to go to Rugby Union.
Come on R.F.L. get a grip of this situation now before it's to late..
I am sick of seeing our decent up and coming players switching codes it's just not on....
Money talks! each of the past & present players to switch codes - which ever way they switched - have all done it for the money, yes the challenge is always a great one & sounds good at press conferences.......but money talks!
Rugby Union is on a high financially, so the league-ers will go if the pay packet is right for them.. you can't blame them really. Rugby Super League management do need to get a grip, but I ask do they make ££££'s out of the deals as well ???