In preparation for the future, the Canberra Raiders are currently in talks with a versatile utility and will soon meet with the management of two forwards as November 1 nears.
Over the past few years, the Raiders have undergone an extensive roster rebuild, acquiring several of the best up-and-coming players while releasing some of their veterans, including Jack Wighton and Jordan Rapana.
While all the chatter has been about the future of front-rower Josh Papalii as of late and if he will remain in the nation's capital for an extra season, the club are quietly set to retain three players, keeping them out of the grasp of rival teams and the Perth Bears.
Speaking with The Canberra Times, CEO Don Furner confirmed that the Raiders are currently in talks with Simi Sasagi to extend him on a two-year contract until the end of the 2028 NRL season.
Furner also revealed that the club will meet with the management of forward duo Ata Mariota and Morgan Smithies as early as next week as they prepare to continue building their roster for the coming seasons.
"We definitely want to keep him, and we're trying hard to do that," Furner said on Sasagi.
"We're in discussions with him and we've started the process for a two-year extension. His versatility is unbelievable."
As it currently stands, all three players are off-contract at the end of 2026 and free to negotiate and speak with rivals from November 1.
"We're lucky we've got blokes like Simi that can play multiple positions and do it well," Raiders forward enforcer Corey Horsburgh said in regards to Sasagi.
"He can play half, back-row, front row, he can go anywhere at the moment.
"We've got a pretty good squad at the moment, if we can keep all us boys together for some years, I'm sure we'll have some success."
