The Canberra Raiders have reportedly locked down halfback Jamal Fogarty on a new deal, keeping him at the club for the long term.
Contracted until the end of the 2024 season, Fogarty will enter the open market and be free to negotiate with rival clubs on November 1 if a new contract is not signed.
One of the Raiders' most consistent performers since joining the team, Fogarty has reportedly signed a one-year extension with the Canberra Raiders, with an option for the following season, which is contingent on how many games he appears in, per News Corp.
Beginning his NRL career with the Parramatta Eels, Fogarty wouldn't register a single first-grade appearance before moving ship to the Gold Coast Titans and would have to wait patiently for four years to make his NRL debut - after a one-season stint with the Burleigh Bears in the QLD Cup.
The Australian Schoolboy would be a mainstay in the Titans team for the following two seasons (2020-21) but would eventually ask for his release after falling down the pecking order in favour of Toby Sexton and Tanah Boyd.
Since joining the Raiders, Fogarty has registered 39 appearances and 176 points in two seasons. An underrated playmaker, he had his best season to date in 2023 despite playing with several new combinations in the halves.
In 24 games, he scored 28 points and provided 15 try assists, and six line break assists to go along with 23 forced drop-outs and 395.7 average kicking metres per game.
It is understood that extending Forgarty's time at the club will give Ricky Stuart more time to find a long-term halves solution and combination. The Raiders have Ethan Strange coming through the ranks and have continually been linked to teenage sensation Ethan Sanders.
However, due to new NRL anti-tampering rules, they will be unable to negotiate with Sanders until Round 6 of the 2024 season, with the halfback remaining at the Parramatta Eels in the meantime.
The publication also reports that the Raiders have signed Manly Sea Eagles youngster Kaeo Weekes. A versatile fullback or five-eighth, Weekes has been linked with the club since the end of August and has already toured the club's headquarters and facilities.
Playing only three games in 2022, multiple injuries to the Manly squad saw him transition from an interchange bench player to a starting five-eighth and fullback in just nine appearances throughout the 2023 season.
A former sprint champion in athletics, Weekes has been with the Sea Eagles since the age of 14, becoming one of the more successful players to come through their Pathways Academy.
His junior career journey included playing in the Harold Matthews, SG Ball and Jersey Flegg competitions before being selected into the club's development squad in 2021.
"He'll be the short-priced favourite to start next season at five-eighth for Canberra," journalist Brent Read said on Triple M in mid-September.
“I don't think we've seen the best of him yet. There's big wraps on him; he's a really talented junior footballer. He's had a little bit of taste of first grade.
"He hasn't really grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. But I think Canberra is pretty optimistic that he can resolve one of their big issues heading into next season, which is that No. 6 jersey. I think Kaeo will be the man to fill that void next season.”
