BY DAN

The Canberra Raiders have reportedly locked up Jamal Fogarty through 2025, with an option for 2026 (now confirmed by the club). This is unquestionably good news for everyone involved, providing certainty for now and flexibility for the future.

Let’s start with the obvious and note how great this is for Fogarty. Before he came to the Raiders he was – inexplicably – on the outer at the Titans, having only recently forced his way into the top line through a career’s worth of Cup footy experience. A permanent rugby league career would have felt tenuous. Now he extends his time in Canberra for potentially an additional two years, meaning by the end of the deal it could be five in the top line with the club. He looks at home in Canberra and at the Raiders. This gives him a certainty he’s rarely had in his career. You can’t help but be happy for the man.

In the negotiation he’d been seeking more than the extra year the Raiders were offering. He’s 30 in December, and will be 32 by the technical end of this deal. This was likely to be his last ‘big’ deal, and one can understand wanting as much certainty as possible. He didn’t get that in the full sense. There’s an option for 2026 based on games played (presumably in 2025), something so obviously linked to the potential presence and performance of Ethan Sanders we may as well call it the Sanders Extension. Unfortunately for him that’s the nature of the beast. When you’re not the best, people will always be looking for someone who can be.

For the Raiders its good business. Fogarty has fulfilled even the most optimistic hopes the Raiders had for him before he came to the club. Instead what they’ve got is an on-field leader, and a worthy first grade player. He’s led the team in try assists in both seasons with the club, an impressive feat given he missed much of 2022. He’s done that mostly through his impressive feet (goal posts everywhere be terrified), bringing a short-kicking game to the club that has rarely had one. As the attack stagnated in 2023 it was often his foot that was its only saviour.

But he’s more than just a boot. He’s a quality defender and organiser, surprisingly agile and willing when taking on the line, and a smart eye for opportunities for his edges and outside backs. As an on-field leader he’s been critical to the club. I’m not the only person that noted that the team performed best when he was the key functionary in attack. When he was picking and choosing where things went, when he was getting the ball at first receiver, the team seemed organised, even occasionally fluid and cohesive. Fogarty may never be a star, but he’s a capable halfback, and I can equally see him as a low-cost half in a great team as a steadying hand in a young-and-learning one.

I suspect he’s an important off-field leader for the club too. You can see that in his community work, his advocacy for players’ rights as a delegate of the Players’ Association, and in the fact of his being a positive role-model for young Aboriginal players, both at the club and coming through the local system. Canberra have lost a few old heads recently, so a player like Fogarty who has seen so much of the best and worst of footy can only be a good thing. At the very least he may bring a Usman Khawaja style resilience to the playing group when Ricky Stuart goes full Justin Langer.

Fogarty is unlikely on huge money. When he came to the club his deal was reported at around 400k a year, which is very cheap for a starting half. He’s undoubtedly got an upgrade on that – for how much we (need to) don’t know. In a sense that’s immaterial. Cap space is likely less an issue than meeting the CBA’s minimum spending requirements. There’s always an opportunity cost with any signing but in this case it doesn’t feel substantial. That’s because the nature of the deal allows the Raiders to continue to walk a two-track path. They’ve kept Fogarty to ensure a baseline level of output in the short term, while not providing an insurmountable obstacle for potential stars. By not over-committing to Fogarty they’ve kept the opportunity incentive that has attracted Sanders to the club while ensuring they remain relatively successful in the short term. It’s the best outcome for both player and club.

It will be interesting to see how he goes in 2024 and 2025 as the only ‘experienced’ player in the spine. More is being asked of Jamal, and the circumstances in which he has to provide it will be more difficult. With more eyes on him his job will be harder. The impact of that extra attention will only be exacerbated by the fact he won’t have consistent help. Young players will do their best, but they’ll make mistakes. His ability to succeed is as part of a functioning system. He can be a big part, even a critical part, of a quality attack, but we won’t get his best unless what is created around him facilitates that.

There’s still growth in his game. Sometimes his age leads people to forget he’s only 80 games into an NRL career. With more responsibility, more control, and less random Jack Wighton-ness, he might be able to play his part in addressing the Raiders’ tendency to lose their way in games, and fixing their inability to execute in game critical moments (like field goals). When he failed there in 2023 it felt like a ship going down and blaming the first mate because he wasn’t bailing hard enough. Now he’s captain. Perhaps we can avoid the iceberg altogether.

Do me a favour and like the page on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, or share this on social media because we are just children of the earth trying to find a way home. Don’t hesitate to send us feedback (dan@sportress.org) or comment below if you think we are stupid. Or if we’re not.