In-demand Panthers second-rower Liam Martin has not shied away from a move to Canberra as his contract situation heats up.
Martin is available to offers from rival clubs for the 2028 season as he enters the last year of his contract.
Liam Martin. Getty Images
The Raiders are starting to form as a possible destination for the Kangaroos star after the club pulled its offer to Hudson Young.
Young would have pocketed $4.4 million over four years if he signed with the Raiders but his departure looks imminent as he prepares to tour Papua New Guinea on Wednesday.
When asked directly by 9news Sydney’s Danny Weidler if he’d move to Canberra, the Temora-raised Martin was keeping his options open.
“I don’t know. I’m open to it, obviously close to home and it’s pretty interesting,” he said.
“The boys speak very highly of Ricky (Stuart) so I’d be really interested. Penrith would still hopefully be my first option and work out a deal but if not I’d be looking forward to it.”
Penrith is currently in a contract dilemma with Isaah Yeo, Nathan Cleary, Moses Leota and Martin all off contract.
Yeo seems the most likely to re-sign out of the quartet while Cleary could be offered a monster contract by the incoming Chiefs.
Martin forecasted that contract negotiations will ramp up once the World Cup is over.
“I think they’re working through it as quick as they can and trying to get a deal done but there’s a bit going on,” he said. “I’ll wait until after the tournament to sit down and get into the nitty gritty of it.”
Penrith have lost multiple players due to salary cap constraints and Martin will come up against three of those players in Spencer Leniu, Jarome Luai and Stephen Crichton when the Kangaroos play Samoa on Sunday.
Brian To’o will also suit up for the Samoans ahead of his last season for Penrith before he moves to PNG for 2028.