We love the mighty Canberra Raiders
Zac Woolford is squarely in the Canberra Raiders' plans for the 2024 NRL season.
But at this stage he's one of a number of off-contract stars who the Raiders were yet to open talks with.
That could change in the coming weeks as the full squad returns for pre-season training, with a majority of the squad set to return November 20.
It wasn't the opponent they'd asked for, but the Canberra Raiders will host an NRL Anzac Round game for the first time in seven years.
The Green Machine had set their sights on bringing the North Queensland Cowboys to Canberra Stadium to establish an Anzac rivalry with their fellow military city.
Both Canberra and Townsville have long been home to the armed forces, with the capital the base for the Royal Military College at Duntroon.
The NRL is currently engulfed in a storm just days before the league announces the full 2024 season draw.
Reports from news.com.au have revealed that a brouhaha has erupted over Channel 9's decision to snub Canberra and Newcastle for the opening round of the 2024 NRL season.
The drama continues to swirl behind the scenes as the league prepares to announce the full draw for the upcoming season on Monday.
According to News Corp, Channel 9 expressed its concerns to the NRL on Thursday, pushing for a late change to the fixture in order to remove the Raiders and Knights from the Round 1 Thursday night match.