After falling short of a preliminary finals berth despite their first-place finish in 2025, the Canberra Raiders are hoping to take some lessons into next year.
While they will be hoping to replicate their regular-season form in 2026, they’ll be without their star halfback, with Jamal Fogarty off to the Manly Sea Eagles.
This has left their No. 7 position up for grabs, and while young star Ethan Sanders has been viewed as the likely replacement for Fogarty, recent reports indicate an external recruitment for the Raiders’ halfback jersey.
Melbourne Storm star Jonah Pezet has been identified as the ideal replacement for Fogarty, with the young halfback eyeing a move from Victoria following the re-signing of Jahrome Hughes.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 11: Jonah Pezet of the Storm trains during a Melbourne Storm NRL training session at AAMI Park on September 11, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)
Contracted until 2029, Pezet has been granted permission to look elsewhere due to the logjam at halfback, even if just for a season on a loan deal.
Pezet has already been linked with the Gold Coast Titans; however, the Canberra Times has revealed that the Raiders could be interested in the 22-year-old’s services.
It is unknown whether a move for Pezet would be a temporary or a permanent one, with the emergence of the Perth Bears in 2027 also looming as a viable option for the highly-touted halfback.