Rising Canberra Raiders prop and second-rower Jayze Tuigamala has made a call on his future, confirming he will remain with the club on a new deal.
The prop, who turned 20 earlier this year and made his NSW Cup debut in Round 3 of the season just gone, has progressed through the Raiders' pathways in recent seasons.
2026 was his first year on a full-time deal in the nation's capital, with the Sydney-born prop progressing to the development squad for the first time under the eye of Ricky Stuart and his coaching staff.
Tuigamala has now locked up a new deal, with his management confirming he has signed on to push for a first-grade debut in 2027.
The Raiders are yet to confirm the move. Zero Tackle have left inquiries with the club.
That moment may be closer than anyone expects, with the Raiders undergoing a mass change in their engine room heading into next year.
Ricky Stuart's side have lost Josh Papalii to retirement, while Morgan Smithies and Corey Horsburgh have both moved to the Perth Bears, and even Jayden Brailey, signed as a hooker but playing more lock, has moved to the Wests Tigers - that will ultimately allow the green machine to start pushing their young talent into bigger roles.
Ata Mariota will almost certainly join skipper Joseph Tapine in the front row, while Matty Nicholson is the odds-on favourite to start at lock.
RELATED: NRL 2027 squad trackers
As it stands, the Raiders still have nine roster spots open for 2027, with the only other middle forward locked up being Myles Martin, while Hudson Young, Noah Martin, Zac Hosking (who can also play lock) and Joe Roddy are the edge forward contenders in the squad as it stands.
It's understood one of the remaining spots will go to Jaiyden Hunt, who it has been reported has agreed to a deal which will see him move from the Brisbane Broncos to the Raiders.
Even with that likely signing, the Raiders still have plenty of work to do on the contract front heading into 2027, but will also need to continue promoting their own young talent.
Tuigamala, in his 11 NSW Cup games during 2026, ran for 64 metres per game, but had limited minutes before shifting onto the edge for the final weeks of the season, where he found bigger game time.
