NRL: Adam Elliott's Canberra Raiders dream comes to end as crucial off-season begins

With the Canberra Raiders defeated 40-6 by the Eels in the semi-final, the gravity of the situation started to sink in for the injured forward.

Having watched helpless from the coach's box as his team's season came to an end, Elliott recognised he was about to depart a club on the rise.

The off-season always brings change and this year is no different for the Raiders. Inspirational hooker Josh Hodgson and Ryan Sutton will also move on, while Ricky Stuart is set to rejig his coaching staff.

The off-season priority will be re-signing Joe Tapine, the damaging prop set to come on the open-market from November 1.

The 28-year-old emerged as one of the best forwards in the competition this season and has attracted interest from a host of rival clubs.

Contracted to the end of next year, the Raiders are desperate to lock down Tapine on a long-term deal.

Elliott has some security of his own, joining the Knights on a three-year deal.

It comes after Canberra provided the 27-year-old with a career lifeline and it's an opportunity he will be forever grateful for.

"The last week I've been thinking about how lucky I've been to be part of this club for this year," Elliott said. "I've made mates that I know I'll be friends with for a life time. That's why it's going to be so hard knowing I won't play with these guys again.

"The playing group are some of the best blokes I've ever been lucky enough to have anything to do with and the coaching staff are the same."

Elliott's dream of a fairytale finish with the Raiders started to unravel on Monday, when he was sent for scans on an injured pelvis.

The results were not positive, however he remained optimistic of returning in time for the grand final.

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Friday's 40-6 loss to the Eels proved a death-knell to those ambitions, Elliott forced to watch from the sidelines as his time in Canberra came to an end.

While the match slowly slipped away from the Raiders, the departing forward was focused on his role in the coach's box.

It was only once the full-time siren sounded that the gravity of the situation fully hit home.

"I watched the game with Josh (Hodgson) and Jarrod (Croker) and we were so invested in the game and what was going on," Elliott said. "Walking to the lift with those guys is when it hit me, then it hit hard as soon as we got on the field to see the fans.

"I've never seen so many fans at an away stadium. They've just adopted me from the word go. If you give a lot to the club and the team, the fans give a lot back.

"It was really hard for me to go out on the field after the game and there was not one Raiders person that left the game early. I'm going to miss that big time."

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