The Canberra Raiders have confirmed the extension of forward Joe Roddy for a further three years, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2030 season.
In his limited time in the NRL, Roddy has shown great promise of becoming a strike forward in the nation's capital, showcased in his NRL debut last year, scoring two tries off the bench.
With his current deal expiring at the end of 2027, the Raiders moved quickly to stop him from going onto the market in November, keeping him at the club for the long-term future.
Roddy played his junior footy in Tumut, a town that falls within the catchment area of the Raiders' junior pathways, highlighting the strength of their development program.
Roddy said he was thrilled to extend his time with the Raiders and is hopeful to remain a one-club player.
“It's really cool to re-sign and to get some clarity around my future. Obviously, I want to stay at this place. It's like another home to me and, ever since I first came over to Canberra, I've loved it,” Roddy said in a Raiders statement.
“I've always said that if I could, I'd want to be a one-club player and, obviously, this is a small step towards doing that. But I'm really excited to be extended until 2030.”
Coming from a small town, Roddy says it's great to give the younger generation the belief that they can achieve the heights of an NRL call-up.
“Tumut is only two hours away from Canberra, so to go home and see the young kids and give them someone to look up to and be a role model for them is really special. To be able to make it from a small country town gives them belief too.”
Raiders DNA lives in Joe's blood with lineage to Frank Roddy, who was Raider #12 in the green machine's foundation season, playing in the club's maiden first-grade match in 1982.
Roddy has played three NRL games this year after being limited in the top grade with a broken hand, which required surgery in early May.
He has shown great versatility, and despite coming through the ranks as a second rower, Roddy has played both on the edge and in the middle to help assist in the Raiders' engine room.
“It's good to have a bit of versatility across positions, especially in today's game. But you couldn't ask to learn from better players than Papa, Taps, Big Red, Huddo and all those kinds of blokes,” he said.
Roddy was available for selection last week, with Ricky Stuart opting for him on his six-man interchange bench in the Raiders' loss.
