Adam Coleman hasn't yet made a call on whether he will be a Wallaby in 2018, saying there is "plenty of water to go under the bridge" before he decides where he will ply his trade next year.
Coleman, who has established himself as an integral part of Michael Cheika's best XV, is understood to be considering a move to Europe, with huge money on offer for the 25-year-old.
The star lock has signed a deal with the ARU through to the 2019 World Cup but it was contingent on the Force forming part of Super Rugby in 2018.
Their removal from the competition means Coleman is now a free agent - per the ARU deal with RUPA - and any move to the Rebels appears to be reliant on whether Dave Wessels takes the head coaching role on offer.
"In terms of me, personally, there is a lot of water to go under the bridge and I am just assessing my options at the moment," Coleman said.
"I love playing for the Wallabies and what I want to do, for this year, is play the best rugby I can, for my country."
Coleman said there had been no deadline placed on a decision before endorsing Andrew Forrest's Indo-Pacific Rugby Championship.
"I think it's a great idea, the new competition, but like I said, I'm just assessing my options and I am really loving my rugby here at the Wallabies."
On field, Coleman is in typically brilliant form.
He is consistently among the Wallabies' best and a large part of that is due to his constant thirst for physicality, in both attack and defence.
That's one area where the Wallabies waned against the Springboks in Perth and there will be an increased emphasis on cleaning up the work at the breakdown in Bloemfontein.
"Yeah, I think in the first half of that game we struggled to identify and I suppose, our intent at the breakdown wasn't there," Coleman said.
"In the second half we cleared that up a lot better and that's something we have been working on, even in our previous game - our breakdown work.
"The Boks are a very physical side, they're going to have a huge presence at the breakdown and around the field."
Coleman's stature in the Wallabies fold is that of a lock that has played 50 Tests, not 15.
That's a reality which dawned on him in the June Test window, just 12 months after he made his debut in the third Test against England.
"(It's crazy) how quickly the year goes. You go on Spring Tour, have a month preseason and then go straight into Super Rugby," he said.
"It's definitely a big learning curve for me, coming from not having a preseason and then turning around and playing Super Rugby, but it's something I've been really enjoying.
"I've really been enjoying running lineouts in the squad and the youth in the squad now is amazing - I have a lot of belief in the squad."
The merry-go-round of partners in the second row hasn't bothered Coleman, either.
"You've got Lukhan Tui, he's training the house down, Izack Rodda - they both bring a lot of enthusiasm and youth to the squad - that's invaluable for us and then you've got Simmo, who has played a lot of Tests and Rory, who's a big, physical lock.
"Whoever is there, I have faith in them that they will do their job and I know I will do my job."
The Wallabies take on the Springboks in Bloemfontein on Sunday night, kicking off at 12am AEDT and Sunday 1am AEST, broadcast LIVE on FOX SPORTS.
