Canberra have made two important retention moves heading into next season, with young guns Ata Mariota and Michael Asomua both inking fresh two-year deals.
The 21-year-old Mariota, who was born in Samoa and relocated to New Zealand in his formative years, has played 17 first grade games for the Raiders and has cemented himself as a permanent fixture in the lineup.
The front-rower was already signed with the Green Machine until the end of next season, but his efforts on and off the field have prompted the club to lock him up long-term.
Asomua on the other hand is yet to make the jump to NRL, but has produced some strong performances in the lower grades and will be upgraded to the top 30 roster as part of his new contract.
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Canberra Raiders re-sign Ata Mariota and Michael Asomua
In a statement released on Wednesday morning, the club's head of recruitment Joel Carbone claimed the extensions were a major boost for the Raiders.
“Ata showed us what he’s capable of this year and his consistency and improvement saw him awarded with the club’s rookie of the year award," he said.
“Since Ata arrived for SG Ball back in 2019, he’s gone from strength to strength and is now in a great position to establish himself in the NRL team each week.
"Michael had an outstanding season at NSW cup level and was named player of the year.
"Michael has been with us since Harold Matthews and while he’s yet to debut, he has impressed at every level and I’m sure if he continues his form, an NRL debut will be right around the corner.
“They’re still young players with lots to learn, but they’ve both already shown a lot of potential with strong seasons in 2023. We’re excited to see them continue their development and stay with the club until the end of 2026.”
Mariota is seen by many within the organisation as a potential long-term replacement for Josh Papalii in the middle of the field for Canberra, with head coach Ricky Stuart placing plenty of faith in the 107kg powerhouse.
“Canberra’s home now and it’s exciting to extend for another two seasons,” he said.
“I feel comfortable here knowing Ricky has my back and believes in me. The playing group look after me and I’m looking forward to building on last season.
“There are heaps of young guys coming through the system and it pushes me to be better. There’s also a tonne of experience there that I can lean on to make me a better player both on and off the field.”
Canberra have added Kaeo Weekes and Simi Sasagi to their roster for next season, as well as English lock-forward Morgan Smithies on a multi-year agreement.
Ata Mariota 2023 NRL stats
| Games | 16 |
| Tries | 1 |
| Tackle Breaks | 14 |
| Offloads | 3 |
| Avg. Run Metres | 61m |
| Avg. Tackles | 16 |
| Tackle Efficiency | 95% |