The Canberra Raiders are bracing for free-agency chaos, with several players to hit the market in the coming months at the same time the club searches for a Jack Wighton replacement.
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The Raiders have 15 players who are off contract at the end of 2024, opening the door for other clubs to make offers from November 1. It sets the stage for a changing of the guard at Raiders HQ.
Jarrod Croker has announced his retirement and fellow veterans Elliott Whitehead, Josh Papali'i and Jordan Rapana are all closer to the end than the beginning of their careers.
Coach Ricky Stuart will face some tough decisions. But the good news is the Raiders have some money to be a key player in the fight for signatures. Here's the state of play for the squad.
The veterans
Club legend Jarrod Croker is retiring, and veteran duo Jordan Rapana and Josh Papali'i are off-contract in 2024, with the latter having an option for 2025.
Whitehead is off contract at the end of next season and at the tail-end of his career he knows retirement is looming.
The temptation would be there to get one last big pay day before hanging up the boots, or maybe even return to his native England, but Whitehead is content where he is, having called the capital home for nearly a decade.
The skipper is hoping to follow in the footsteps of many former Raiders that have taken up roles at the club following their footy careers.
"I have thought about it a little bit," Whitehead told The Canberra Times before the Raiders' crucial Sunday clash with Cronulla to seal their finals spot.
![Elliott Whitehead wants to stay in Canberra. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Elliott Whitehead wants to stay in Canberra. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/ba5b07b2-b479-4468-aa95-456e0ed9726d.jpg/r0_0_4256_2393_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Not too sure where I go with it just yet, but I'd just be happy to see next year out and see where I am.
"Definitely not anything in England [to go to]. I'll probably stay here after rugby. Hopefully I'll get some type of job with the club.
"I've been here nine years next season, so I'd like to stay around Canberra. I've really settled in here and I've got no intention to go anywhere else.
"Since I've gotten to Canberra I've really loved it, and it's really grown on me. I've got a lot of good friends here now and see myself settled here now."
Whitehead has been a workhorse for the Raiders over eight seasons, and is one of coach Ricky Stuart's most relied upon senior players.
The 33-year-old joked he'd love to be able to scale back his minutes, but since the loss of Corey Harawira-Naera after a shock seizure mid-season, Whitehead has had to pull a bigger load in the second row.
"Unfortunately Corey Harawira-Naera, he's out for a while, so I'm just doing my role for the team," he said.
"What will be, will be. I'm still enjoying coming to training. I'm not going to lie, I know I'm getting older and the game is getting a lot faster, but at the moment I'm just doing my job."
The halves
The Raiders are in most need of depth in the halves with the pending departure of Jack Wighton to South Sydney after this year. After 15 years in Canberra, Wighton's move to Redfern leaves a gaping hole at five-eighth, and there's some instability in the position when he's gone.
Jamal Fogarty is signed until next year but has already indicated he will test the open market and listen to other offers. Fogarty's management said the half doesn't have an issue with Stuart, and is liking his time at the club, but they want to explore all options.
Fellow halves specialist Matt Frawley is off contract after this year and is also considering his future. English giants Leeds Rhinos are reportedly hunting the 2019 Huddersfield playmaker after they lost two former Raiders, Aidan Sezer and Blake Austin.
The Super League is also where last year's Raiders rookie of the year Brad Schneider headed last month, and though there is a clause for the Queenslander to return to Canberra if they call him back, he's turned heads in England with Hull KR, and could quickly become in-demand.
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Frawley isn't touted as the next Wighton from the limited game-time he's had in Canberra, but he does provide some cover for the halves since Schneider left, even if the Raiders are able to land Bronco Ezra Mam or another off-contract five-eighth.
Mam has been linked to the club as a possible signing, though Brisbane are determined to keep him and star fullback Reece Walsh.
Under-19s Blues talent Ethan Strange made his NRL debut this season in green in the centres but plays five-eighth at NSW Cup level, but whether Stuart throws him in the deep end next year is a big ask.
Others off-contract
Ata Mariota, Zac Woolford, Harley Smith-Shields, James Schiller, Nick Cotric, Trey Mooney, Peter Hola, Hudson Young and Adrian Trevilyan, are the remaining top Raiders off-contract next year.
However, some have only re-signed last year and are unlikely to look elsewhere, or they have already indicated their intention to stay, such as Hola. Young's deal is believed to be as good as done, though Canberra has yet to announce anything officially.
Corey Horsburgh is one of the key pieces the Raiders are keen to lock down until the end of 2027.
Raiders chief executive Don Furner said negotiations with Horsburgh were "moving in the right direction", while the discussion to retain other off-contract players will begin once the season ends.
Who the Raiders may look at
The Raiders need someone to fill the void left by Wighton, who could play in any position from fullback to five-eighth.
Brisbane's Ezra Mam's name has been thrown around and the Broncos are set to face a salary cap squeeze given they've gone all in on some of their big guns.
Jerome Luai is expected to test his worth on the market, but Penrith is confident the club can retain the premiership-winning playmaker. There's also a widespread feeling Luai wouldn't fit into a Raiders set up.
South Sydney forward Keaon Koloamatangi has been thrown into conversations over the past two weeks and he would be a massive addition as Papali'i and Whitehead enter the twilight of their careers.
Having missed out on David Fifita, the Raiders are keen to add another gun forward to their pack to give them some extra punch.
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