![The Raiders will look to lock in off-contract-half Brad Schneider. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong The Raiders will look to lock in off-contract-half Brad Schneider. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/918363dd-58bf-4d8c-a381-172ea2193233.jpg/r0_53_3423_1977_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It's the Canberra Raiders meeting that will begin the process of finding Jack Wighton's replacement.
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Raiders coach Ricky Stuart and his coaching and recruitment staff will get together next week to come up with their plan of attack to look for their next No.6.
The Raiders will also look to make moves to lockdown young half Brad Schneider, who's off contract at the end of the year.
Stuart's on the lookout for new halves following Wighton's decision to sign with the South Sydney Rabbitohs for the next four years.
It'll see him leave the Green Machine at the end of the season - although there's already been murmurs Souths might try to prise the 30-year-old out of Canberra early.
While roster management's a 24-7 beast, the Raiders will begin their hunt for a Wighton replacement next week, in the wake of their clash against the Dolphins at Wagga Wagga on Saturday.
Aside from Wighton, the Raiders currently have halves Jamal Fogarty, Schneider and Matt Frawley on their books.
Fogarty's off contract at the end of 2024, while the latter two's contracts were up at the end of the season.
"I'm sure they've got plans to sit down and talk to [Schneider] and keep him," Raiders chief executive Don Furner said.
Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett also made a play for Wighton, but the Dally M medallist opted to go with the Rabbitohs instead.
Bennett said he'd spoken with Wighton and there were no hard feelings - both parties have already moved on.
But all eyes will be on Wighton on Saturday to see how he coped with the scrutiny that's come following his decision to go to market.
"We spoke so that's OK, all good," Bennett said.
"It's over, it's done, we're all moving on. He's moving on, we're moving on."
It's not often Bennett and Stuart have seen eye-to-eye, but it's now happened twice in one season with Bennett backing Stuart's calls for a transfer window.
They also agreed club doctors were the best placed to assess players for concussion during games - rather than an independent doctor in the bunker.
Bennett took aim at the NRL, questioning why they hadn't done anything.
"I can't believe we don't have one. I've been on about it for a long time in my coaching career," he said.
"It's wrong, it doesn't give us the look that we need as a game.
"There's some great football being played at the moment, but we get distracted by all these contract negotiations - which just shouldn't be happening.
"They don't happen in other sports around the world. We don't have the will to rein it in unfortunately.
"I didn't know the players ran the game ... I thought the NRL ran the game and they do what's in the best interest of the game for everybody."
MORE RAIDERS NEWS
Wighton was racially abused on social media following his decision to leave the Raiders.
Canberra co-captain Jarrod Croker condemned the comments, but was grateful for the support Wighton received in the aftermath.
"It's horrible. It shouldn't happen to anyone wherever you are - whether you're at school or playing in the NRL, it just shouldn't happen," Croker said.
"I've seen a lot of players, a lot of people over social media call that out and get behind Jack, which has been really good."
NRL ROUND NINE
Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Dolphins at Wagga Wagga, 3pm.
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