The Canberra Raiders are close to finalising a one-year deal with Adam Elliott and he could be onboard the Green Machine by the end of the week.
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Elliott's looking for an NRL lifeline after the Canterbury Bulldogs sacked him for his off-field behaviour bringing an end to his 101 NRL games across six seasons for the club.
That's increasingly likely to be in Canberra, with the Raiders looking to add some experience to their forward pack following the departures of several senior players - including spiritual leader Sia Soliola, who retired this year after more than 300 senior games.
Elliott will help complement Canberra's young bulls coming through - the likes of Emre Guler, Corey Horsburgh, who is recovering from a shoulder reconstruction, and Hudson Young.
They also have the highly regarded Trey Mooney, who's yet to make his NRL debut.
Plus Elliott will add some versatility.
The 27-year-old can play either in the middle or on an edge giving Raiders coach Ricky Stuart another option in both departments.
It's a versatility shared with co-captain Elliott Whitehead, Young and Corey Harawira-Naera.
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Whitehead could spend more time in the middle in 2022, with the lock role increasingly requiring more ball-playing ability.
Elliott's career's at a crossroads following his Canterbury sacking, but he has several options on the table to remain in the NRL.
It's believed the Wests Tigers were also interested in the Tathra Sea Eagles product and they have a warchest of funds they've already used to land former Gold Coast Titans utility Tyrone Peachey.
Elliott's signing would leave one spot remaining in the Raiders' top 30 - depending on whether hooker Josh Hodgson shifts to the Wests Tigers.
Hodgson's contracted to the Green Machine for 2022, but they've allowed him to explore his options to secure a longer-term deal.
That shift has been clouded by Raiders hooker Tom Starling facing an intimidation charge for an alleged incident at Terrigal on the weekend.