The Canberra Raiders have confirmed a contract extension for utility Simi Sasagi.
A second-rower who can play at lock, centre or in the halves, the former Knight has begun to live up to his potential in recent times, with 2025 proving to be a breakout campaign for the 24-year-old.
A Newcastle Knights junior, Sasagi had injury issues which limited the start of his first-grade career, but he has added 18 games this year, scoring five tries and being a constant presence off the bench in limited minutes for Ricky Stuart's side, while he has also started three games at second-row and one at centre.
Sasagi's new contract has added two further years to his time at the club, extending him out to the end of 2028. It means he won't head to free agency on November 1 at the same time as all other off-contract players.
Sasagi said he wanted to continue his improvement at the Raiders over the coming seasons.
“I'm grateful to be staying here for the next couple of years and to continue to become better each day,” Sasagi said in a club statement confirming the news.
“A big goal of mine was to have a consistent, good year of footy and I think I've done that this year.
“That's based on the form of the people around me playing good footy and I've just been playing off the back of that.”
Sasagi will likely continue to provide a presence off the bench for the Raiders, with coach Ricky Stuart saying he was "valuable" for the squad.
“We've always known Simi has talent, and this year we've seen that talent come through off the back of the hard work and commitment he's shown right from the start of the pre-season,” Stuart said.
“Simi's versatility and ability to cover so many positions is valuable for our squad, and the way in which he's been able to fit in where he's been needed this year is a credit to him and the hard work he's done.
“We know Simi's best football is still ahead of him, and we're very happy to have him stay with the club for another three years.”
