The Raiders have had a win in player retention with halfback Jamal Fogarty re-signing for two years, tying him up with the club until the end of 2026.
Fogarty’s management had previously indicated the half’s desire to test himself on the open market and was able to entertain rival offers as of November 1.
However, the former Titan has stayed loyal, as the Raiders look to reshape their attack after the loss of Jack Wighton.
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The 29-year-old confirmed his desire was always to stay in the capital city.
“I never wanted to leave the Raiders and I want to play here as long as I can,” he said.
“Obviously it’s good job security, but also just good to know it’s all settled, and we don’t have to relocate the family to somewhere else.
“The girls can keep going to school here and I think that’s probably the most important part keeping them settled and keep doing what they’re doing because if they’re happy I’m happy and then hopefully that reflects on me playing good footy.”
Fogarty will be one of the more senior players in the Raiders squad next season following the departure of Wighton and Jarrod Croker’s retirement.
The halfback expressed his excitement at working with a young group which could see him linking with 19-year-old half Ethan Strange who made his NRL debut against the Storm in round 24.
“This year is a lot different losing a couple of key players in Jacko (Wighton) and Toots (Croker), but we’ve still got the majority of the senior boys here and got a lot of youth coming through which I’m really excited about,” Fogarty said.
“We’ve got a good balance of experience and youth so hopefully a couple of those boys can step up this year and we can get a good start to the season and go better than we did last season. It’s exciting times.
“Being the one senior half now that Jacko’s left, we’ve got a lot of young fellas in the halves so hopefully I can mentor them and teach them a couple of good habits, but also hopefully they can teach me a couple of things.
“I’ll watch their games and see where I can add to my attacking repertoire.”
Raiders recruitment manager Joel Carbone explained the re-signing of Fogarty will be crucial towards the development of the club’s younger players.
“Jamal is a terrific role model for our young emerging halves but also for all young Raiders fans,” Carbone said.
“Jamal’s football has continued to improve since he joined our club, and we believe he’s the right man to help us to bring through the next generation of halves while still being a pivotal member of the current squad.
“He and his family have made a home here in Canberra and his work away from the football field mentoring the younger players and connecting with the community make him the perfect person to help guide us into the future.”