Canberra have been given a major boost, with in-form wingers Jordan Rapana and Albert Hopoate both agreeing to new deals with the club.
The pair have been a focal point of the Raiders recent turnaround, with the side winning their past five games and cementing themselves in the NRL top-eight.
Rapana has extended his stay in the nation's capital for a further season and is set to surpass 200 first grade appearances later this year.
The 33-year-old Kiwi star admitted he was unsure whether his career would continue beyond this season.
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“I’ve surprised myself with how my body's been holding up and I’ve decided to go again for another year," Rapana said.
"I want to thank the club and Stick [Ricky Stuart] for giving me another opportunity. At my age form plays a big part of re-signing and I want to keep playing well.
"We’ve still got a long season ahead of us and we’re hitting some form and I’m looking forward to finishing this season strong and then carrying that into next year.
“Sharing my knowledge and experience of the game with those young fellas is massive for the club, as those guys have bright futures and where I can help, I’m more than willing to do so.”
Hopoate has inked a fresh two-year contract that will see him remain at the Raiders until the end of 2025.
The 22-year-old Manly junior has scored three tries and is averaging 140 run metres per game this year, and has managed to hold speedster Xavier Savage out of a spot in the Canberra backline.
“It was a no brainer for me... I feel very blessed,” Hopoate said.
“It’s been a really good development stage for me over the past couple of years and I have great role models here like Jordan Rapana and Nick Cotric who have played over 100 games, and I’ll look to keep learning from them.
“I’m just looking to keep playing well and try and secure a spot and play as many NRL games as I can and keep learning.”
Canberra Raiders off-contract list
| 2023 | Adrian Trevilyan, Brad Schneider, Clay Webb, Jarrod Croker (PO), Matt Frawley, Peter Hola (MO), Tom Starling (PO), Jayden Clarkson |
| 2024 | Ata Mariota, Corey Horsburgh (MO), Danny Levi, Elliott Whitehead, Harley Smith-Shields, Hudson Young, Jamal Fogarty, James Schiller, Josh Papalii (MO), Nick Cotric, Pasami Saulo, Seb Kris, Trey Mooney, Zac Woolford, Brad Morkos, Michael Asomua |
| 2025 | Corey Harawira-Naera (PO), Emre Guler, Matt Timoko, Xavier Savage, Ethan Strange |
| 2026 | N/A |
| 2027 | Joseph Tapine |
