Canberra Raiders News

Thu, 6th August, 2026, 16:12 AEST
Andrew Johns picks must-have NSW assistant coach
Laurie Daley steps down as NSW Blues coach; Matt King appointed to retain the State of Origin shield in 2027.
Zero Tackle
NSW Blues announced a change of guard on Tuesday morning, with Laurie Daley stepping down as head coach and appointing long-term assistant Matt King to take charge of the state.
Daley called it time following a remarkable series win, where the Raiders legend copped plenty of scrutiny throughout the series, but got the last laugh.
With King now in charge of retaining the State of Origin shield in Sydney for 2027, he turns his attention to who he will fill his coaching ranks with to ensure the Blues go back-to-back.
The Blues' greatest ever Andrew Johns has publicly called for one former player to come in and assist during the 2027 series.
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Thu, 6th August, 2026, 14:59 AEST
Who is telling the truth?: NRL club bombs claim from player agent over Moses Leota interest
The Raiders denied pursuing Moses Leota, who remains contracted with the Panthers until 2027 amid salary cap issues.
Zero Tackle
The Canberra Raiders have moved to emphatically shut down any link between them and a chase for Penrith Panthers prop Moses Leota.
Leota is off-contract at the end of 2027, but sent a bombshell through the NRL earlier this year when he was given permission to negotiate his future away from the Panthers early.
The move came as Penrith started to wrangle with a dangerously bloated salary cap, and a large list of players off-contract at the end of 2027, including Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo.
It's understood Leota hasn't been offered anything concrete by the Panthers beyond the end of 2027 at this stage, and that the expectation is he will not only play that season for them, but not have permission to sign elsewhere early until Penrith understand what is happening with Cleary and Yeo, despite being given permission to negotiate.
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Thu, 6th August, 2026, 11:37 AEST
Raiders land a prop as one leaves. Plus Wahs circling their centre ...
The Raiders signed Lipoi Hopoi, while the Perth Bears announced Morgan Smithies' five-year deal. The Warriors eye Sebastian Kris.
The Canberra Times
The Canberra Raiders have moved to bolster their prop stocks just as the Perth Bears confirmed they'd pinched one.
There's also reports the New Zealand Warriors are circling Raiders centre Sebastian Kris.
Lipoi Hopoi will join the Raiders next season, while the Bears officially announced Morgan Smithies had signed a whopping five-year deal to head west.
Hopoi, 24, has played 17 NRL games for the Canterbury Bulldogs, including seven this year, since making his debut against Newcastle in 2024.
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