Keeping Jack Wighton might be their preference, but the Canberra Raiders' search for his potential replacement has already begun.
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Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said recruitment was a constant cycle when asked about when they'd start looking to replace Wighton - given he could be gone at the end of the season if he signs with another club.
The Canberra Times revealed Wighton told the Raiders of his decision to test his worth on the opening market on Tuesday, in the lead-up to their crunch clash against the Penrith Panthers at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.
Wighton had an option in his favour for the 2024 season, but will instead gauge interest - with up to 11 other clubs interested in the hard-running five-eighth.
It's currently slim pickings for off-contract halves, with Shaun Johnson, Luke Brooks, and Jaeman Salmon among those yet to sign a deal for 2024.
Other options could come up given the fluency of the NRL player marker, while St Helens young gun Lewis Dodd wants to test himself in the NRL - although he's contracted until at least the end 2024.
If Wighton opted against re-signing with the Green Machine, Stuart would have the money from the fourth year of his current $3.5 million contract - plus some of the money they were trying to lure Gold Coast star David Fifita south with - to sign a replacement.
Stuart felt the player Wighton had developed into since moving to Canberra as a junior was a great advertisement for the club and how it can help develop young footballers - both men and now women.
"You've never got your foot off the pedal - that's probably the best way to answer that," he said.
"It's a business decision for Jack. It's a business decision for us in regards to the way we strategise our future."
Stuart hasn't spoken to Wighton about his decision to test the open market.
He said Wighton already knew how highly the Raiders coach thought of his World Cup winning star.
Wighton's been with the Green Machine since he was a junior, having played 224 NRL games since his 2012 debut.
He's gone on to win Dally M and Clive Churchill medals, and has played State of Origin for NSW and represented Australia - including being part of last year's World Cup winning side.
Stuart said the club had done everything they could for Wighton, including standing by him during some off-field troubles, and the decision was now in the 30-year-old's hands.
"I haven't spoken to Jack about it, but it's not uncommon for a number of players to have those clauses in their contracts," Stuart said.
"Jack's got to make a decision and that's where it's at.
"I've got a football team to run here and we're looking for our next win - that's what my focus is at the moment.
"Jack knows I want him here. That's the most important thing for me. He knows my feelings about him as a person and as a football player, and I want him to be a Raider.
"But that decision's taken out of my hands - that's up to Jack now to make that decision.
"I'm at ease with it because I know we do everything we possibly can for Jack and his family."
The news comes with Wighton unavailable for the Panthers game, having accepted a two-game ban for a high shot on Newcastle halfback Jackson Hastings.
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Stuart has named Matt Frawley at five-eighth to partner Jamal Fogarty in the halves.
He said their attack was "clunky" in their loss to Newcastle, but he was confident a new halves pairing wouldn't stop them from fixing that.
"We've trained a lot together in the off-season so I'm hoping we can find some fluency there," Stuart said.
"There was a couple of field goals that got quite a bit of exposure last week from a couple of other teams and Matty Frawley's field goal last week came at a very handy time and in exactly the same position.
"We know what he can do and we love having Matty around us and in the team."
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