Thanks for the responses - looks like it may be possible after all :)
I had dealt with a few recruiters for contract jobs before but they all seemed to offer "perfect" positions which then vanished to be replaced with less enticing ones. I had sort of assumed they were making stuff up to get me on a list, but it might be worth investigating again. This time I'll see what research I can do to make sure they are half decent recruiters!
Appreciate the comments and hopefully I can do something with this advice.