Canberra Raiders chief executive Don Furner has revealed a five-man hit list of re-signings he hopes will lead the Green Machine to the promised land.
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Samoan internationals Josh Papalii and Junior Paulo, first-choice halves Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer, and lock forward Luke Bateman lead a group of players Furner wants to retain.
All five are off-contract at the end of 2018, and Austin and Bateman loom as the early targets with Papalii and Paulo not due back on Raiders duties until January.
Furner indicated the club is now in a position to ramp up negotiations after Raiders coach Ricky Stuart returned to club headquarters this week.
Kato Ottio's two-year deal has expired but the Papua New Guinean outside back will return to the Raiders at the end of the World Cup, while his Mounties teammate Brent Naden has left Canberra.
"There's a few that we want to start to sit down and talk to but some of those are still in camp and some aren't back until January, and we've still got a year to go," Furner said.
"We'll be working on those and hopefully get everybody re-signed up. Ricky only got back this week so we'll start to chat to them now and see where it leads us."
English hooker Josh Hodgson looks set to extend his stay in Canberra for another four years, ending speculation he would be joining the New Zealand Warriors.
Furner is hopeful of some news this week on a deal that would keep Hodgson in Canberra until the end of 2022, as the club continues to shore up its playing roster for future seasons.
Hodgson is on World Cup duties with England but has already told Fairfax Media of his desire to remain in lime green because Canberra is starting to "feel like home".
"We're getting there [with Hodgson]," Furner said.
"He's been in camp so it's been hard to pin him down, but we've been working on it now for a couple of months so hopefully we'll get some news this week."
The Raiders need to shed some weight in order to become salary cap compliant and centre Joey Leilua was linked to the Gold Coast Titans as they brace for life without Jarryd Hayne.
But Furner says the Raiders have not been approached by the Gold Coast and he expects Leilua to see out the remainder of his deal until the end of the 2020.
The Raiders aimed higher than the NRL's final salary cap mark of $9.4 million, which leaves the club requiring to offload a player.
Furner is yet to hear from Leilua, who is in camp with Samoa ahead of the World Cup quarter-finals, his manager or the Titans regarding a move to Queensland.
"We would have no idea if they've approached him or spoken to him. But he's contracted here until 2020 so I'm not sure where that came from. Nothing to do with us," Furner said.
Bench hooker Kurt Baptiste could be forced to find a new home but Furner says it has been difficult to make contact with the 26-year-old while he is stationed in Papua New Guinea for the World Cup.
Baptiste has been linked to a host of English Super League clubs since the Raiders signed Adam Clydsdale.
Clydsdale's return to Canberra created a cloud of uncertainty around Baptiste's future at the club given both players play a similar role.
Papalii, Paulo and Leilua will look to help Samoa cause a shock upset when they face short-priced favourites Australia in the World Cup quarter-finals in Darwin on Friday night.
