The 25-year-old is off contract at the end of next season and is one of the hottest forwards on the market with up to half a dozen clubs believed to be circling him.

While Merrin wants to stay in Wollongong, St George Illawarra's salary cap predicament could force the Dragons junior out of the club in search of a contract befitting his worth.

Merrin has been linked to several clubs, including the Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos, however Merrin's manager Wayne Beavis insists he hasn't been approached by either club but will likely test his value after meeting with the Dragons.

Merrin is hopeful the Dragons will table an offer next week that will keep him at the club for 2016 and beyond, however with Josh Dugan, Benji Marshall and Gareth Widdop taking up a large portion of the salary cap, those hopes may not turn to reality.

The Dragons recently offloaded Brett Morris to link with his brother at Canterbury, which has helped ease some of the pressure on the cap, but it is understood the club might still struggle to come up with the money to keep Merrin away from rival clubs.

It is likely Merrin will meet with former coach Wayne Bennett, who handed the 10-game NSW Origin representative his debut back in 2009, after his manager holds negotiations with the Dragons next week.

Merrin insisted all the talk surrounding a possible switch to another club was pure speculation, and he was adamant his first priority was to remain at the Dragons.

"I've been at this club all my life and I don't want to leave," Merrin said.

"But I'm just going to have to wait and see what happens with my manager next week. We'll have to see what the club says and then we'll go from there. My priority right now is getting my body right so I can start training properly again."

Merrin underwent surgery to repair an AC joint injury he suffered in State of Origin II and is yet to resume full contact work in the pre-season.

His potential departure would be a huge loss for the Dragons, given he has been the best of a beaten pack over the past couple of seasons.

The Roosters are eyeing Merrin and Jason Taumalolo as replacements for Sonny Bill Williams for 2016, while the Broncos' interest stems from Bennett's relationship with Merrin during their three years together at St George Illawarra.

While the Broncos still have Josh McGuire, Corey Parker and Sam Thaiday, they have lost some depth up front with Ben Hannant, Martin Kennedy and David Hala moving on.

Merrin is a Shellharbour junior and his girlfriend Sally Fitzgibbons also hails from the south coast, which is why the Dragons forward is hoping to remain at the club.

"This is my home, I've been here all my life and I hope I can stay," Merrin said.

"But that's all in my manager's hands at the moment. I'll leave it up to him and wait and see what happens next week with the club."