The Wests Tigers and Cronulla Sharks lead the hunt for Luke Lewis

LUKE Lewis sat on the balcony of Test cricketer Shane Watson's shire home last weekend thinking how easily he could get used to this.

AFTER being given the keys to Test cricketer Shane Watson's million-dollar waterfront home in the Sutherland Shire, Luke Lewis sat on the balcony last weekend thinking how easily he could get used to this.

Watson's Burraneer Bay pad is a short walk from Cronulla Beach. It is just around the corner from some of the biggest names in sport - Ricky Stuart, Ian Thorpe, Andrew Etttingshausen, Ricky Ponting. And, as The Sunday Telegraph learned yesterday, Lewis, the NSW Origin star, could be moving in too.

Lewis' big decision is down to two clubs - the Sharks and Wests Tigers.

Newcastle, Canberra, Parramatta, Melbourne and the Roosters are all in there swinging. The Roosters met with Lewis' manager Greg Willett yesterday while the Raiders will submit their final offer today.

But, in reality, it remains a race in two with Lewis planning to make a decision within the next 48 hours.

But the dilemma is this: does Lewis uproot from his home for the past 28 years at Penrith and commute to Concord to play with the Tigers? Or does he make a sea change to the Shire and join the Sharks?

Both camps put in their offers yesterday, with Willett, an interested onlooker at last night's Tigers-Penrith match at Campbelltown. The Sharks and Tigers are believed to be offering around the $500,000 mark for the next three years.

Lewis would prefer an extra year on the deal and the Sharks have not ruled out the prospect of signing the NSW Origin and Test back-rower until the end of 2017.

The Tigers were re-assessing their salary cap space last night.

Lewis is said to be torn between both clubs.

On Friday, a phone call from Origin teammate Robbie Farah left Lewis thinking how perfectly he would fit into the Tigers squad following the departure of English back-rower Gareth Ellis at the end of this season.

Lewis also has huge respect for Tim Sheens, who has coached the 28-year-old in the green and gold since 2009. But then Lewis' emotions stewed again as he enjoyed dinner overlooking Cronulla Beach with close mate and the Sharks' stand-in captain Wade Graham.

Lewis also chats almost daily with the Sharks' most influential figure, Paul Gallen.

Lewis has made it known he isn't interested in signing with a club in a rebuilding phase.

The Tigers and Sharks both fit the bill.

Both teams look bound for the finals with strong rosters and healthy recruitment for next season.

At Cronulla, Lewis would hardly walk in as a stranger.

Aside from close mates Graham and Gallen, Lewis has played with Todd Carney, Ben Ross and incoming Panthers winger Michael Gordon during his 208-game career.

He has also worked under coach Shane Flanagan with the Blues, where the Sharks mentor was an assistant coach to Craig Bellamy.

Pulling Lewis back to the Tigers is the chance to remain in Penrith, where he's currently building a house.

He would need to sell that property to move to the Shire and join the Sharks.

Lewis has considered buying property in the Shire previously, his wife Sonia a close friend of Watson's wife and TV presenter Lee Furlong.

The star couple regularly offer their house to Lewis and Sonia. Whether they become neighbours will be revealed this week.