Manly Sea Eagles upgrade offer in bid to prize Jamal Fogarty away from Canberra Raiders
In a desperate bid to replace Daly Cherry-Evans, Manly has gone all in to secure Canberra halfback Jamal Fogarty.
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In a desperate bid to replace Daly Cherry-Evans, Manly have increased their interest in Canberra halfback Jamal Fogarty.
The Sea Eagles have bumped up their offer from two to three years in a bid to lure the veteran playmaker away from the Raiders.
It comes after Canberra matched Manly’s initial interest by escalating their offer from one to two years just last week.
The Raiders remain confident Fogarty will still stay but are also aware a three-year deal at Brookvale may be difficult for the halfback to reject.
Fogarty is 31.
Should Fogarty leave, Canberra has several options including moving Kaeo Weekes into the halves and Chevy Stewart to fullback or fast-track Ethan Sanders.
Fogarty has received other offers in excess of $2 million.
This masthead can reveal three NRL rivals have formally expressed interest in Fogarty, who produced another fine display in last Sunday’s 30-20 defeat of his former club the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium.
Fogarty has fielded three-year offers worth $700,000 a season - a total package of $2.1 million.
His management held fresh talks with Canberra bosses on the Gold Coast over the weekend after the Raiders flew north to take on the Titans.
It is understood the Raiders have offered the 31-year-old a two-year extension worth around $1.1 million, but salary-cap pressures will make it difficult for Canberra to up the ante in a bidding war.
The late-blooming Fogarty has become a playmaker in demand at a time when experienced halves are a rare commodity on the open market.
Fogarty is on an estimated $650,000 this season and while the Raiders had an option they could have activated before round 6, the Green Machine opted against taking up the 12-month extension.
The Raiders are instead trying to renegotiate a fresh deal, but their decision not to trigger the existing option has opened the door for a poaching raid.
A veteran of 101 NRL games, the Beaudesert product has flourished as a genuine top-line halfback since joining Canberra in 2022 after being released by the Titans, where he was co-captain.
Despite strong interest from NRL rivals, former NSW skipper Paul Gallen says Canberra can’t afford to lose Fogarty.
“I’d be shocked if Canberra let him go,” Gallen told Channel 9 on Monday. “I understand over the weekend they’ve come and offered him a two-year deal as Manly have offered him.
“I think he is crucial for that side to stay there, and if they are to win the premiership over the next couple years he has to be there.”
Raiders coach Stuart said last month he wouldn’t stand in the way of Fogarty leaving if he could secure a better deal in his twilight years.
“I spoke to Jamal, we haven’t taken too much notice of the media because we had to prepare for a game of football,” Stuart said on Fox Sports prior to Canberra’s round 4 clash with the Cowboys.
“I basically said, ‘If you have got a big deal out there mate that’s going to be the best thing for Kahlia (wife) and the girls, you take that but I want you at the club’.
“I don’t know where they are with Manly at the moment, but I’m not too concerned either.”
The Sea Eagles have bumped up their offer from two to three years in a bid to lure the veteran playmaker away from the Raiders.
It comes after Canberra matched Manly’s initial interest by escalating their offer from one to two years just last week.
The Raiders remain confident Fogarty will still stay but are also aware a three-year deal at Brookvale may be difficult for the halfback to reject.
Fogarty is 31.
Should Fogarty leave, Canberra has several options including moving Kaeo Weekes into the halves and Chevy Stewart to fullback or fast-track Ethan Sanders.
Fogarty has received other offers in excess of $2 million.
This masthead can reveal three NRL rivals have formally expressed interest in Fogarty, who produced another fine display in last Sunday’s 30-20 defeat of his former club the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium.
Fogarty has fielded three-year offers worth $700,000 a season - a total package of $2.1 million.
His management held fresh talks with Canberra bosses on the Gold Coast over the weekend after the Raiders flew north to take on the Titans.
It is understood the Raiders have offered the 31-year-old a two-year extension worth around $1.1 million, but salary-cap pressures will make it difficult for Canberra to up the ante in a bidding war.
The late-blooming Fogarty has become a playmaker in demand at a time when experienced halves are a rare commodity on the open market.
Fogarty is on an estimated $650,000 this season and while the Raiders had an option they could have activated before round 6, the Green Machine opted against taking up the 12-month extension.
The Raiders are instead trying to renegotiate a fresh deal, but their decision not to trigger the existing option has opened the door for a poaching raid.
A veteran of 101 NRL games, the Beaudesert product has flourished as a genuine top-line halfback since joining Canberra in 2022 after being released by the Titans, where he was co-captain.
Despite strong interest from NRL rivals, former NSW skipper Paul Gallen says Canberra can’t afford to lose Fogarty.
“I’d be shocked if Canberra let him go,” Gallen told Channel 9 on Monday. “I understand over the weekend they’ve come and offered him a two-year deal as Manly have offered him.
“I think he is crucial for that side to stay there, and if they are to win the premiership over the next couple years he has to be there.”
Raiders coach Stuart said last month he wouldn’t stand in the way of Fogarty leaving if he could secure a better deal in his twilight years.
“I spoke to Jamal, we haven’t taken too much notice of the media because we had to prepare for a game of football,” Stuart said on Fox Sports prior to Canberra’s round 4 clash with the Cowboys.
“I basically said, ‘If you have got a big deal out there mate that’s going to be the best thing for Kahlia (wife) and the girls, you take that but I want you at the club’.
“I don’t know where they are with Manly at the moment, but I’m not too concerned either.”
Originally published as Manly Sea Eagles upgrade offer in bid to prize Jamal Fogarty away from Canberra Raiders
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