Canberra Raiders forward Morgan Smithies is in the process of negotiating his long-term future, with a contract extension reportedly on the table through to the end of 2029.
Smithies has been a revelation with the Raiders since joining from the English Super League, with his hard-nosed play on the edge and in the middle seeing him become a permanent part of Ricky Stuart’s best 17 who took out the minor premiership in 2025.
Off-contract at the end of 2026 though, Smithies has been able to negotiate with rivals since November 1, and could yet leave the Raiders.
All signs point to him re-signing though, with The Canberra Times reporting a three-year extension through to the end of 2029 is on the table.
CEO Don Furner revealed Smithies’ contract negotiations were on hold while he was overseas, having played in the Rugby League World Cup, and then being on holidays, but admitted they are keen to get a deal done before the end of the year.
“Morgan has just gotten back from overseas, so we’re working through that one at the moment,” Don Furner told The Canberra Times.
“So hopefully that can get done. Obviously we don’t want it to drag on much longer.”
The 25-year-old who was born in Halifax made his professional debut for Wigan back in 2019, before shuffling to the Raiders in 2024 where he has played 49 games over the last two years.
The three-time English representative would likely have no shortage of suitors on both sides of the world if he went to the open market, but it’s understood his preference is to remain in Canberra, where a number of English players have found homes in recent seasons.