The Canberra Raiders have reportedly dropped out of the race to sign Sydney Roosters playmaker Sandon Smith.
The half is contracted to the Sydney Roosters for next season, but has been given permission to negotiate his future elsewhere.
The news comes with the tri-colours set to add Daly Cherry-Evans to their roster for next season. He will join Sam Walker in a new-look halves combination, while Hugo Savala, who has been one of this season's breakout stars in the halves for Trent Robinson's outfit, will need to find another role for 12 months.
That will then be followed by him coming back into the first-choice halves alongside Walker, leaving Smith, who has also spent time at fullback during his NRL career, on the outside of the tri-colours' best 17, looking in.
The playmaker has been linked heavily with the Raiders, North Queensland Cowboys and Newcastle Knights, who he is even understood to have toured at one point, but it now appears that race is dropping to two.
News Corp is reporting the Raiders have contacted Smith's management this week to advise that they will go in a different direction.
The Raiders' primary focus is to replace Jamal Fogarty, who heads to the Manly Sea Eagles in 2026, where he will take over the number seven jumper in Anthony Seibold's side from Cherry-Evans.
While the green machine added Ethan Sanders to their roster this year from the Parramatta Eels, he hasn't had the form in the NSW Cup that was expected, and may not be ready to form a new-look and exceptionally inexperienced halves combination with Ethan Strange next year.
Exactly what direction the Raiders will head in remains to be seen, with few halves left on the open market for 2026 at this stage, and the Perth Bears to join the competition after that, adding to the challenges of recruiting from rival clubs for 2027.
