The Canberra Raiders could have the only all-Indigenous halves pairing in the NRL next season, with Jamal Fogarty set to become a Canberra Raider next week.
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Fogarty's agreed to terms on a three-year deal with the Green Machine and just needs to finalise his release from the Titans to make it official.
It's hoped that will all be sewn up by the middle of this week.
Landing the Gold Coast Titans co-captain's shaping as a massive coup for Raiders coach Ricky Stuart given the halfback only extended his contract until the end of 2023 at the start of August.
But Stuart's been able to pry him loose to cover the loss of former Canberra halfback George Williams, who returned to England halfway through this season due to homesickness.
Fogarty played 21 games for the Titans in 2021, including their semi-final against the Sydney Roosters, but was at risk of falling down the Gold Coast playmaker pecking order due to the emergence of Toby Sexton.
Now the 27-year-old has his future sorted for the next three years, which also takes the Queenslander out of the clutches of any potential raid from the new Brisbane team set to enter the NRL in 2023.
The former Australian schoolboy will partner 2020 Dally M Medallist Jack Wighton in the Raiders halves as the Green Machine looks to bounce back into the NRL top eight after struggling this year.
Both Fogarty and Wighton played for the Indigenous All Stars in February.
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Teaming up again in clubland would likely make them the only Indigenous halfback-five-eighth pairing in the NRL.
Fogarty will take charge of leading the Green Machine around the field as the controlling No.7, leaving Wighton to focus on his powerful running game.
He's played 41 NRL games since making his Titans debut in 2017 against the Wests Tigers.
Having bided their time in the halfback hunt, the Raiders will now play a similar waiting game to fill up the final four spots in their 30-man squad for next year.
They missed out on former Titans utility Tyrone Peachey, who opted for a bigger two-year contract with the Tigers over coming to Canberra.
But they could be on the lookout for either another versatile player of Peachey's ilk or some middle forwards to help replace the loss of Sia Soliola (retired), Dunamis Lui (uncontracted) and Ryan James (Brisbane Broncos).
"He's a good player and the captain of the Titans so he's obviously done something right up there," Raiders co-captain Jarrod Croker said.
"He's a great player. I've met him before - he's a really nice guy, so he'd be more than welcome.
"He's a quality player and I know they've had really good opinions of him up there the last couple of years.
"He's that hard-working sort of bloke who took a while to break it into first grade, so it sounds like he's got a really good work ethic."