Former Canberra Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty has tipped rising youngster Ethan Sanders to be his replacement in the halves for the 2026 NRL season and has backed him to make the No.7 jersey his own.
Since Ricky Stuart’s debut for the club in 1988, the No.7 at the Raiders has become one of the most coveted jerseys to wear, considering its illustrious history.
While the likes of Stuart, Fogarty, and Terry Campese made the jumper their own and became icons of the club, others have failed to live up to the hype and have not reached the same form that they were destined to achieve.
Now, that job will fall to last year’s Under-19s NSW Blues halfback Ethan Sanders who has been destined for big things ever since he appeared on the rugby league stage at a young age.
Asked if he thinks Sanders can make the No.7 jersey his own, Forgarty, who led the side to the minor premiership and second week of the finals series, replied “definitely” without any hesitation.
“He’s very calm and composed for such a young fella and he’s probably a lot more mature than what people think,” he told Zero Tackle.
“I think he’ll do a great job.”
While he only played two first-grade matches in Raiders colours during this year’s campaign, the 21-year-old scored six tries, forced four drop-outs, averaged 152.8 kicking metres and provided 15 try assists and seven line-break assists in 19 NSW Cup appearances.
“He’s a big body and a strong defender. He is really good at digging the ball into the line,” current Raiders skipper Joseph Tapine told this publication.
“I’m looking forward to his development next year. He just needs to get more games on the paddock and build those combinations.”