{"id":28932,"date":"2025-07-29T02:27:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T02:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/28932\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T02:27:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T02:27:12","slug":"transfer-whispers-morgan-smithies-contracts-matty-nicholson-extensions-chevy-stewart-release-trey-mooney-josh-papalii-canberra-raiders-round-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/28932\/","title":{"rendered":"Transfer Whispers, Morgan Smithies, contracts, Matty Nicholson extensions, Chevy Stewart release, Trey Mooney, Josh Papalii, Canberra Raiders, Round 22"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Canberra Raiders are reportedly out to shore up their forward stocks by offering contract extensions to English imports Morgan Smithies and Matty Nicholson. <\/p>\n

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The Daily Telegraph<\/a> reported the Raiders have tabled an extension offer for Smithies and have began talks with Nicholson over a new deal. <\/p>\n

It is understood the Raiders are also exploring the prospect of retaining Ata Mariota. <\/p>\n

All three players are off-contract at the end of 2026 and are free to negotiate with rivals from November 1. <\/p>\n

The three forwards loom as potential poaching targets for the Perth Bears, who will join the NRL in 2027 and are on the lookout for inaugural recruits. <\/p>\n

However, the Raiders want to get ahead of the game by beginning talks with Smithies and Nicholson over long-term extensions. <\/p>\n

Smithies, 24, has played 42 games for the Raiders since joining the club in 2024, while 22-year-old Nicholson has scored five tries in nine games in his rookie season. <\/p>\n

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Morgan Smithies and Matty Nicholson are in talks over extensions.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n

The Raiders are also in talks with young fullback Chevy Stewart, but could be open to letting him leave after re-signing Kaeo Weekes to a long-term extension. <\/p>\n

Stewart is considered a star of the future, but his path to consistent first grade has been blocked by Weekes, who is a contender for the Dally M Medal in 2025. <\/p>\n

Ciraldo proven right after big win | 03:10<\/p>\n

The Raiders are open to letting Stewart leave at the end of the season to chase a full-time first grade spot, with the Dragons circling the young gun. <\/p>\n

Stewart is just 20 and played three games for the Raiders last season, but is yet to get a game in first grade in 2025. <\/p>\n

The Raiders may release Chevy Stewart with the Dragons circling.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the future of Trey Mooney is up in the air with the Raiders considering re-signing Josh Papalii, who has got cold feet over a switch to the Super League. <\/p>\n

Papalii has now had discussions over staying for one more season, which could force Mooney to consider his future in Canberra. <\/p>\n

Mooney has scored two tries in 24 games for the Raiders since his debut in 2022, but just three this season. <\/p>\n

Kevvie begins calls for Ashes selections | 01:59<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Canberra Raiders are reportedly out to shore up their forward stocks by offering contract extensions to English…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28933,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[63,689,7292,26497,2667,4532,4607,27553,17343,27289,27555,27556,763,43,17340,7290,3194,4601,27554,44,677,26492,27148,3752,26498,14869,11737,41,39,42,40,27283,27290,27162,9020],"class_list":["post-28932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-australian-capital-territory","tag-broncos-contenders","tag-canberra","tag-canberra-raiders","tag-chevy-stewart","tag-contract-extensions","tag-daily-telegraph","tag-dogs-star","tag-english-imports","tag-extension-offer","tag-fox-league","tag-headlines","tag-josh-papalii","tag-kaeo-weekes","tag-kevin-walters","tag-manly-sea-eagles","tag-matty-nicholson","tag-news","tag-oceania","tag-phone-calls","tag-reserves-wrap","tag-rookie-season","tag-shock-loss","tag-super-league","tag-team-tips","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-transfer-whispers","tag-turns-back","tag-warriors-statement","tag-young-gun"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28932"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28932\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}