Canberra Raiders reset recruitment options after David Fifita re-signed with Gold Coast

The Raiders' pursuit of the Fifita ended this week when the barnstorming but inconsistent back-rower signed a new contract with the Gold Coast Titans despite more lucrative offers from Canberra and Brisbane.

It was effectively a double blow for the Green Machine, who had hoped to make Fifita a marquee man on about $900,000 per season while signing his partner, Jillaroos World Cup winner Shaylee Bent to Canberra's inaugural NRLW side.

The Raiders now have money to spend on the open market, but Fifita was the only edge back-rower they had their eyes on despite being loosely linked to Pat Carrigan.

Furner says the Raiders won't rush contract decisions now Fifita is off the table.

"At the end of the day, he was off contract and there's not many others in the same boat," Furner said.

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"We'll just wait and see. We'll only get someone who we think is going to enhance our squad. So there might be nobody else for a couple of months. It was disappointing not to get [Fifita] but it's like when people were trying to get Joe Tapine last year. You want to keep your best players at the club.

"We don't feel like we lost anything because he stayed at his incumbent club. We had a really good crack at him and he was very willing to listen. At the end of the day he's got his roots up there, his family up there.

"It would have been a great get for us to get him here, but he decided to remain at his own club and you understand that. Given that fact, you can't complain too much."

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