It would continue the ongoing rehabilitation of the former Warrior, who was signed by the Knights at the end of last season.
Packer is eligible for parole on January 5, 2015 and several NRL clubs have declared their interest in the 24-year-old.
Senior officials from Penrith, understood to include Phil Gould, have visited Packer in jail and Panthers coach Ivan Cleary knows Packer well, having brought him to the Warriors as a 17-year-old. Wayne Bennett apparently wants to take him to Brisbane and the Dragons and Eels are also believed to be targeting the two-test Kiwi.
It seems unlikely Packer will be able to take the field at the start of next season. Even if he is paroled in January, the NRL might be reluctant to register him immediately.
And even if he is eventually registered, there's a possibility that a good-behaviour bond - with sums well into six figures - will be levied upon his future club and his agent, so parties close to Packer have an incentive to monitor and help him in the long term.
The NRL want to be certain he's fully rehabilitated and there's no hint of any kind of repeat offence, especially of the nature of the awful incident last year.
Before his conviction, Packer had a clean criminal record. No serious off-field incidents were ever reported during his long spell at the Warriors, although he was seen as a "high maintenance" individual and was heavily fined after urinating on the field before a match at Suncorp Stadium last year.
He had a troubled past. During his appeal hearing in April, Judge Chris Hoy acknowledged his difficult upbringing and dysfunctional childhood, with both parents battling drug, alcohol and mental health issues.
According to Hoy, Packer was pushed to consume alcohol as a child, with "18-can sessions" as a 12-year-old. Hoy said Packer had an "alcohol use disorder" from his early teenage years that continued for most of his time at Mt Smart.
Going to Newcastle this year was meant to be a fresh start but unravelled in the worst possible way.
Packer is likely to continue a lengthy rehabilitation programme on release from jail. He would be assessed by an NRL-appointed independent psychiatrist, who would then prescribe a programme which could stretch for weeks or months. There are also likely to be strict conditions around his registration - any future alcohol related misdemeanours or violent incidents would mean instant termination of his registration.
Packer seems a major risk for any club but there are reasons he appeals. He has a rare skill-set for a prop and imagine how good he could be if he's truly reformed and free of self-destructive behaviour.
He's also an established NRL performer (110 games) who would not severely dent a salary cap, as any contract would be an incentive-based deal set at a low level.
