The Canberra Raiders have another up-and-coming English player in their sights as Ricky Stuart's rebuild continues.
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The Canberra Times has confirmed Warrington Wolves rising star Matty Nicholson is very close to officially signing with the Raiders, with the club in a "positive" position to beat out four other NRL rivals vying for the 20-year-old's signature.
The second-rower could secure a contract starting in 2025 as early as this week, which would make him the Raiders' seventh English recruit in the past decade.
Nicholson has been a Super League standout under former NRL star-turned-coach Sam Burgess, and it's understood Canberra's previous track record of fostering English talent helped put the Raiders in the box seat to secure his services.
His signing would follow several contract extensions locked in by the Raiders in recent weeks as Stuart sets the club up for future success with a changing of the guard forced by retirements and player exits.
The second-row position's depth in Canberra has been tested this season with promising Raiders debutant Zac Hosking sidelined with injury, Hudson Young set to miss this week - at least - on State of Origin duties with the NSW Blues, and ageing captain Elliott Whitehead could also retire at season's end.
For the Raiders' trip north to face the Dolphins on Saturday night, Young's absence forced Stuart into a back-row reshuffle. Dynamic forward Ata Mariota was named to fill Young's shoes in the starting lineup, with second-rower Simi Sasagi on the bench.
Meanwhile, the return of prop Josh Papali'i to the 17 after serving a one-game suspension for a hip drop pushes last week's bench forward Peter Hola back to NSW Cup.
![Super League star Matty Nicholson, and inset, Josh Papali'i and Ata Mariota. Pictures by Gary Ramage, Karleen Minney and Getty Images Super League star Matty Nicholson, and inset, Josh Papali'i and Ata Mariota. Pictures by Gary Ramage, Karleen Minney and Getty Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/20df9d90-135a-48d9-a572-cdab07d9eace.png/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Losing Young - the club's leading try-scorer - is a big blow for the Redcliffe match, but pacey winger Xavier Savage believes off-season recruit Sasagi has the right game to step in seamlessly.
"We're feeling pretty confident and we have a lot of trust in Simi," Savage told The Canberra Times.
"He's very similar to Hudson. He's got those ball skills with a lot of agility as a big second-rower.
"He used to play in the centres and halves in his younger days, so he's still got that class to him.
"That's going to bring a lot spark to our play with me and Seb Kris outside him, and Ethan Strange on the inside.
"I know he can do a good job while Hudson's away at Origin."
![Canberra Raiders recruit Simi Sasagi is back in the team. Picture by Keegan Carroll Canberra Raiders recruit Simi Sasagi is back in the team. Picture by Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/81e6ff5d-c102-442d-8420-bf32ce6cafc8.jpg/r322_322_4311_2922_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Like the rest of the team, Canberra hooker Tom Starling was proud of his fellow Novocastrian mate Young getting another Origin nod, even if it means the Raiders lose an influential "leader" for the Dolphins clash.
"I'm so proud of him. He's going to go out and do his state proud and kill it I know that for sure," Starling said. "He deserves it."
Just because they don't have Young though, the Raiders aren't giving any excuses not to leave Redcliffe with anything less than two points, following their humbling 44-16 defeat to the Roosters last Saturday.
The Green Machine are right where they like to be - backs against the wall, critics coming for them and a top-four opposition next up on the road.
It sets the stage for a trademark bounce-back game, and they're driven to deliver for the fans Starling felt they let down at Canberra Stadium in round 12.
"We definitely hear their frustration because they show up for us, so we've got to get back here with a couple of wins on the board for them," Starling said.
"We let ourselves down more than a bit. I know it's frustrating but we have taken something out of it.
"We get to go up there [to Redcliffe] and get a good performance now, which I know we will.
"They're a tough, gritty side. They've got some good strike players. They've lost a couple of their Queensland boys, but we've lost Huddo as well. It's going to be a good game."
Starling put their defensive woes against the Roosters down to not working together as a team, and Savage agreed it was an area they had to urgently address at training.
"We had a very intense session, just focusing on our defence," Savage said.
"But we cleaned them up pretty nicely and we're looking good."
NRL ROUND 13
Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Dolphins at Redcliffe, 7.35pm.
Raiders squad: 1. Jordan Rapana, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Matt Timoko, 4. Sebastian Kris, 5. Xavier Savage, 6. Ethan Strange, 7. Kaeo Weekes, 8. Emre Guler, 9. Danny Levi, 10. Joe Tapine, 11. Ata Mariota, 12. Elliott Whitehead (c), 13. Morgan Smithies. Interchange: 14. Tom Starling, 15. Simi Sasagi, 16. Trey Mooney, 17. Emre Guler. Reserves: 18. Albert Hopoate, 19. Zac Woolford, 20. Peter Hola, 21. Michael Asomua, 22. Hohepa Puru.