And even though Hawks' captain-coach Willie Heta understands the magnitude of the potential move, his short-term focus is just getting the Twoblues - and other clubs - back onto the paddock.

This winter was somewhat of a write off for top-tier teams in the region and it's yet to be seen what kind of a lasting impact the pandemic might have on some of the clubs, particularly the small-town ones.

So, for Heta, he'd like to see Group 10 sides make a healthy return to the paddock next winter before looking ahead to the merger.

"I'm excited because it's always good to play different faces," Heta said.

"But, if we can get the Group 10 clubs back up and running at even half normal, that would be good."

Hawks kicked off their pre-season on Monday night with a club-wide training session.

"It was a good little mix for us," he said.

"We've got all grades going down. It's just about getting everyone back together after a season off."

With the roster Heta has, there isn't much of a need for recruitment but the veteran playmaker will be hoping to fill the shoes of Steven Widders as the Souths Newcastle gun is set to head back to the Hunter before Christmas.