'Not optimistic': Canberra Raiders' NRL salary cap relief could mean little

Raiders recruitment guru Peter Mulholland has been scouring the market in the hope of adding another forward to their roster before the NRL's August 3 transfer deadline.

It comes as winger Cotric weighs up a reported five-year, $2.5 million deal to remain with the Raiders or head to Belmore to join Canterbury on a three-year contract reportedly worth $1.8 million.

It is believed NSW and Australian representative Cotric has spoken with Bulldogs chief Andrew Hill as he edges closer to making a decision on his future within 48 hours.

But Mulholland says he is "not optimistic at all" with clubs reluctant to let players go in a season boasting no bye rounds and no State of Origin break.

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Bateman is rehabilitating a shoulder injury suffered while playing for Great Britain last year in the hope he can return for Canberra's finals charge before he departs for Wigan at season's end.

Mulholland has been advised Bateman could be back on deck in five or six weeks, which would see him return in mid to late-August. The semi-finals begin in the first week of October.

But he concedes a return date after a major operation "really is in the lap of the gods" as the Raiders hunt for ways to use their salary cap dispensation, with Mulholland predicting the figure will land at a touch over $120,000.

"There's not much out there. I've been scouring the market for weeks," Mulholland said.

"We've had to wait and see where we were with the dollars and cents, but to be honest with you, I'm not optimistic at all.

"It's just so hard because clubs have got no bye rounds, there's no State of Origin break or anything break or anything this year. It's a pretty straight out hard call for anybody to diminish their roster."

Canberra's forwards stocks have taken a massive blow, with a facial fracture potentially ending Sia Soliola's season while a foot injury will sideline Corey Horsburgh for the majority of the year.

It comes after the club released Luke Bateman and JJ Collins amid the coronavirus-induced shutdown with the players struggling with financial pressure, and allowed Jack Murchie to link up with the New Zealand Warriors.

Mulholland hadn't even raised the prospect of trying to lure Bateman and Collins back to the club, conceding it could be "detrimental" to the pair given they would need up to a month to settle back into a full-time training regime.

"We had to let Collins and Bateman go, they just couldn't live on what the money was," Mulholland said.

"JJ Collins has got a wife and kid and he was living on a couple of hundred bucks a week, it was ridiculous. We didn't choose, under welfare issues we had to let those kids go.

"Jack Murchie had been a good servant and we didn't have many injuries at that stage, and we probably wouldn't have used him much at any rate. It was an opportunity for us to help the Warriors and it was an opportunity for him to secure a new contract. We did the right thing there by everybody."

Canberra's depth will be tested when Kai O'Donnell makes his NRL debut against the Melbourne Storm at Canberra Stadium on Saturday. Uncapped youngster Darby Medlyn is in the extended squad.

"We don't know how Kai O'Donnell is going to go, we don't know what else we might have after that. We just don't know," Mulholland said. "It is what it is, and we've got to play the cards we're dealt unfortunately."