Canberra has emerged as a shock contender to sign Canterbury outcast
Adam Elliott.
It comes as the Raiders prepare to officially announce the signing of Jamal Fogarty on Monday on a three-three year deal worth about $400,000-a-season.
The former Gold Coast captain was said to be on about $200,000 at the Titans but this pay rise still makes Fogarty among the cheapest first-choice halfbacks in the NRL, and a bargain replacement for
unhappy Englishman George Williams who was on about $600,000-a-season.
Fogarty is still only 27 and the Raiders believe his style of play will work well with Jack Wighton.
It can be revealed that the Raiders are also debating whether to throw Elliott a lifeline after he agreed to a mutual parting of ways at the Bulldogs following a string of off-field incidents.
Elliott had been linked to the Wests Tigers but that is not expected to happen now.
Depending on who you listen to there is mail Elliott was offered a deal at the Tigers but baulked at going there.
There are also suggestions the Tigers had their own reservations.
Either way, there appears little chance now that Elliott will be at the Tigers when they return for pre-season in November.
But Elliott does have a long standing friendship with Raiders recruitment chief Peter Mulholland who initially signed him at the Bulldogs years ago.
Ricky Stuart also thinks Elliott is at least worth of having a conversation with.
If Elliott can convince the Raiders he deserves a chance then it might be his best hope of saving his NRL career.
The Raiders have a strong record of providing a good environment and being out of the Sydney spotlight would no doubt be good for Elliott right now to try and get his career back on track.
The Raiders already have good depth in the back row with the likes of Elliott Whitehead, Joe Tapine, Hudson Young, Corey Harawira-Naera and Corey Horsburgh.
But they have lost Sia Soliola, Ryan James, Dunamis Lui and Saliva Havili so they do need to add to their forward stocks, and Elliott could play in the middle or on an edge.
Meanwhile, the Tigers are expecting Tim Sheens’ long awaited arrival is now a matter of weeks away.
With $1 million still to spend on next year’s salary cap, Sheens has been tentatively booked for a flight back from England on October 21.
The Tigers have some players returning for pre-season on November 3 but the majority of the senior squad return on November 15
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