The Canberra Raiders are looking to bolster their middle pack options following the departure of a bunch of key forwards in 2026.
It includes Samoan star Josh Papali'i, who retired at the end of the season, and in-bound Perth Bears duo Morgan Smithies and Corey Horsburgh, all exiting the Raiders lineup in 2027.
However, The Sydney Morning Herald's Christian Nicolussi via the Rugby League Insider podcast has revealed Taniela Paseka is on Canberra's radar to fill the sizeable hole left by the pack trio.
Paseka is under contract with the Sea Eagles until the end of 2029, and it is unknown whether the interest is for next year or beyond.
Given Manly's issues with go-forward in 2026, it's hard to see them let their biggest and most impactful forward leave the club early without something in return, which could potentially be cap space.
At 197cm and 120kg, Paseka sits among some of the biggest players in the competition, and with deft footwork and ability to offload, he offers plenty of value to the Sea Eagles to get them rolling.
Paseka broke onto the scene in 2018 with the Sea Eagles after being poached from the Wests Tigers' pathways, and has been a mainstay in the pack ever since.
It comes after News Corp reports emerged of Kieran Foran looking to reshape his roster under his own vision following the Anthony Seibold era.
Manly has plenty of November 1 free agents, including Tom Trbojevic, Jake Trbojevic, Caleb Navale and Lehi Hopoate, as they look to juggle their salary cap moving forward.
The Raiders have signed Josiah Pahulu, Lipoi Hopoi and Jayden Hunt to fill the void left by the experienced middles, but are still looking to reel in a big fish, which Paseka would fit that description.
