They're hoping to sign NSW Sky Blues second-rower Shaylee Bent (pictured) as their marquee NRLW player this year, as well as Gold Coast Titans star David Fifita for their NRL side next year.

That hope's despite reports on Friday Bent has told the Green Machine she won't be coming to the capital to be part of their maiden NRLW team.

Those reports suggested that meant the Raiders were also out of the running for Bent's boyfriend Fifita.

Raiders coach Darrin Borthwick said things could change quickly in the women's game given there still weren't any contracts for the female players to sign.

Canberra and the other nine NRLW clubs still can't sign any players as they wait for the NRL to finalise with the Rugby League Players' Association what the contracts for the women's game will look like.

Until that's done, they can't sign any players - something that's becoming increasingly frustrating for the NRLW clubs after the announcement the NRL and RLPA had agreed on things like the salary cap for the women's game.

Bent's manager Sam Ayoub was on his way to Townsville on Friday and was unable to discuss the situation.

"We're still hoping and we're waiting on a decision [from Bent]," Borthwick told The Canberra Times.

"Until the contracts are in front of us and signed, what do you do.

"That's one thing with the women's space at the moment - they're all off-contract.

"So until there's something for them to sign it's all just he-said, she-said type of thing."

Both Bent and Fifita toured the Raiders centre of excellence last year as they weighed up their futures.

Bent has played her whole NRLW career at the St George Illawarra Dragons, while Fifita's trying to reignite his State of Origin career after a disappointing 2022.

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Raiders coach Ricky Stuart had been hopeful of a response from Fifita before the start of the NRL season.

But the Brisbane Broncos' emergence as a last-minute suitor for the Titans star has muddied the waters.

There's a growing feeling at the Raiders it could mean Fifita will remain in his native Queensland.

It was initially a race between the Titans retaining the 23-year-old and the Raiders luring him to the capital.

But with the Broncos losing both Thomas Flegler and Herbie Farnworth to their crosstown rivals, the Redcliffe Dolphins, in the past week that's opened up some space for them to have a crack at bringing Fifita back to Brisbane.

He played 44 NRL games for the Broncos before he made the move to become a million-dollar man at the Titans, where he's spent the past two seasons.

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