Departing prop Shannon Boyd has vowed to empty the tank before he leaves Canberra, telling his Raiders teammates he will throw his 122 kilogram frame into every contest until the end of the season.
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Boyd told the Raiders of his decision to join the Gold Coast Titans earlier this week at the request of skipper Jarrod Croker in the hope of avoiding any distractions before their round 11 clash in Mudgee on Sunday.
The Titans targeted the hulking prop and lured him to Queensland on deal reportedly worth $2.4 million for four seasons.
"[Boyd] loves it here, this is home for him. But this is part of our job and this is where he's going," said Raiders winger Jordan Rapana.
"He will obviously be missed. But what he said to [the players] was that he's going to give us everything for the remainder of the year, which I know he will.
"Good on him for signing up there, he's a wonderful player and a good bloke, so I'm happy for him."
Queensland great Billy Moore thinks Gold Coast will regret the splash for cash on Boyd as the NRL considers a game-changing interchange reduction.
Boyd, 25, will join Jai Arrow, Jarrod Wallace and Ryan James in a Titans pack, but Moore thinks it may prove to be a smart offload by Raiders coach Ricky Stuart as the NRL considers a move from eight to six interchanges.
"They've got too many middles (front-row forwards) and if there is any changes in the interchange, Boyd is the type of player that impacts because he'll need to play more minutes than he does right now," Moore said.
"They could've spent that money elsewhere; they need a strike outside back or back-rower."
The Raiders are working to lock in several of their other off-contract stars over the coming weeks. Boyd's front-row partner Junior Paulo is expected to join Parramatta, but Josh Papalii is believed to be close to agreeing to a new deal.
Aidan Sezer, Siliva Havili and Dunamis Lui are negotiating contracts, while the Raiders have also been linked to English prop Ryan Sutton.
Rapana signed a two-year contract extension last season and will stay in lime green until at least the end of 2019.
"I just worry about me trying to play the best I can and enjoy my footy at Canberra ... for me it's just about worrying about doing my part for the team," Rapana said.
"I have absolute full faith [in Raiders officials] that they'll sign the right players and the right side to get us a premiership."
Boyd and the Raiders pack will have a massive task when they clash against the St George Illawarra Dragons side boasting plenty of NSW State of Origin contenders.
Boyd's former teammate Paul Vaughan is pushing for a NSW Blues spot, while Tariq Sims, Jack De Bellin and Tyson Frizell are also contenders to play in the Origin series opener.
NRL ROUND 11
Sunday: St George Illawarra Dragons v Canberra Raiders at Glen Willow Oval, Mudgee, 2pm. TV time: Live on Fox Sports 2.
Raiders: 1. Jack Wighton, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Jarrod Croker (c), 4. Joseph Leilua, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Blake Austin, 7. Aidan Sezer, 8. Iosia Soliola, 9. Siliva Havili, 10. Shannon Boyd, 11. Joseph Tapine, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Josh Papalii. Interchange from: 14. Ata Hingano, 15. Luke Bateman, 16. Charlie Gubb, 17. Dunamis Lui, 18. Liam Knight, 19. Michael Oldfield, 20. Sam Williams, 21. Craig Garvey.
Dragons: 1. Matthew Dufty, 2. Nene Macdonald, 3. Euan Aitken, 4. Tim Lafai, 5. Jason Nightingale, 6. Gareth Widdop (c), 7. Ben Hunt, 8. James Graham, 9. Cameron McInnes, 10. Paul Vaughan, 11. Tyson Frizell, 12. Tariq Sims, 13. Jack De Belin. Interchange from: 14. Jeremy Latimore, 15. Kurt Mann, 16. Leeson Ah Mau, 17. Blake Lawrie, 18. Reece Robson, 19. Zachary Lomax, 20. Mitchell Allgood, 21. Hame Sele.
