When he gets back to Canberra, Leilua says he'll probably get emotional while having a cold one to commemorate the end of "Leipana".

Leilua's contracted to the Green Machine for next year, but was given permission to look for a long-term deal elsewhere.

He said he's going to stay in the capital, where he's one of 13 players who will be off contract come Friday.

It's an impressive list that will have Raiders chief executive Don Furner and recruitment boss Peter Mulholland busy trying to tie down signatures before Christmas.

Canberra co-captain Jarrod Croker, Australian internationals Jack Wighton and Nick Cotric, Leilua, halfback Aidan Sezer and veteran Sia Soliola head the list who can all sign for other NRL clubs from Friday.

Croker, Wighton and Cotric will be their top priorities, while Soliola's 33-year-old body will decide whether he continues.

The Raiders are expecting Sezer to seek a release from the final year of his contract to sign a three-year deal with English Super League club Huddersfield.

But Leilua's going nowhere.

While he wants to stay beyond that, Leilua said there were no guarantees where his next contract would take him.

"I guarantee I'll be there next year," he told nrl.com on Thursday.

"I've one more year left so I'll see out my contract there and whatever happens after that is part of work.

"You've just got to move on or if I stay - I'd love to stay, but sometimes it doesn't work the way you want it to.

"We'll just see how it goes, we'll have to play it by ear and see what my family wants to do."

With Rapana switching to Japan rugby team Panasonic Wild Knights, it means the end of the feared centre-wing combination with Leilua.

They were such close mates and so deadly in tandem on the field they became known as Leipana.

Leilua said that was just part of life under a salary cap.

He's currently in the Samoa camp preparing to play Fiji as part of a triple header at Eden Park on Saturday.

"It's disappointing, I'm going to miss him, I've spoken to him already," Leilua said.

"It's a bit devastating that he has to leave, but I guess that's part of the game.

"I know Japanese rugby's got a great player on its hands and he's going to take it to a whole other level.

"It's shocking. I haven't come to terms with it because I'm in the Toa Samoa team at the moment.

"But it will probably hit me when I go back to Canberra after this game.

"I'll probably get emotional and have a few quiet ones by myself."

Wighton turned down an option for 2021 because he's changed management, while Bateman's also looking for an upgrade to his current deal.

The Raiders have offered Sam Williams a one- or two-year extension, but he's yet to make a decision.

Off-contract Raiders: Jarrod Croker, Jack Wighton, Nick Cotric, Joey Leilua, Aidan Sezer, Sia Soliola, Michael Oldfield, Sebastian Kris, Siliva Havili, Sam Williams, Jack Murchie, JJ Collins, Luke Bateman.