Decision day is approaching for the Canberra Raiders.
Thursday's NRL clash with Cronulla will be halfback Jamal Fogarty's last before the club must make a decision on whether to activate a clause to renew his contract or risk losing him as a free agent in 2026.
An able playmaker with a dangerous kicking game, the 31-year-old is still at the top of his form and will be in hot demand if the round-six deadline is passed up, given the relative dearth of top-level halves on the market in the NRL.
Following reports in the Sydney Morning Herald that coach Ricky Stuart had refused to deal with Fogarty's agent, Tas Bartlett, Stuart said discussions were still ongoing.
"I'll sit down with them (Fogarty's management) at the right time," he told reporters on Wednesday.
"We're constantly having discussions with the guys that are off contract and we'll get to an end point at some stage."
Fogarty has been one of Stuart's most consistent attacking weapons since coming to the nation's capital from the Gold Coast in 2022, captaining the side in the absence of the suspended Joe Tapine earlier this season.
But amid interest from Manly, who are scrambling to find a replacement for departing talisman Daly Cherry-Evans next season, Stuart has said he wouldn't stand in Fogarty's way if he got a bigger offer.
"I basically said 'if you have got a big deal out there mate that's going to be the best thing for (your wife) Kahlia and the girls, you take that but I want you at the club'," he told Fox Sports ahead of Canberra's round-four loss to North Queensland.
If Fogarty was to depart the club after this season, it would leave 20-year-old five-eighth Ethan Strange to lead the Raiders' attack, with promising rookie Ethan Sanders likely to join him in the halves.
Despite his ripe age, Fogarty firms as an attractive prospect to partner the 30-year-old Luke Brooks at Manly, while the club waits for young rugby union convert Joey Walsh to equip himself for NRL football.
The Sea Eagles have high hopes for the teenager, but have ruled out fast-tracking him into first grade in 2026, with coach Anthony Seibold insisting Walsh is still "a couple of years away".
If Manly are to miss out on Fogarty, the most likely option would be to shift Tom Trbojevic from fullback to five-eighth and have him partner Luke Brooks, with Lehi Hopoate taking the No.1 jersey.
