The Canberra Raiders have reportedly locked in hooker Tom Starling on a new deal, while half Jamal Fogarty is also set to arrive from the Gold Coast Titans.
According to a Canberra Times report, the duo could both be locked down by the end of the weekend in the nation's capital.
Starling has been with the Raiders since 2019, and despite his relative inexperience with only 37 NRL games under the belt, he has been a revelation.
While he spent a majority of his time coming off the bench last season, he was playing well enough to push English international Josh Hodgson into the lock forward position once he came onto the field, and played more than 50 minutes in five of his last six games for the season before succumbing to injury.
Coach Ricky Stuart will have a dilemma on his hands for 2022 about the position Starling plays, however, his value to the Raiders can't be understated.
The reports suggest Starling's new deal would see him remain in Canberra until the end of 2024.
The discussion surrounding the recently released Fogarty, who had been at the Gold Coast Titans, suggest he could be around for the same length of time, with rumours of a two or three-year contract in the works.
The 27-year-old was a late debutant, and pushed out of the Titans thanks to the emergence of Jayden Campbell and Toby Sexton, however, has plenty to offer and would be a perfect foil for Jack Wighton in the halves.
Raiders' recruitment boss told The Canberra Times that Starling was the priority, with work on Fogarty continuing.
"We're still working through the Fogarty stuff and we're just trying to get a resolution there as quick as we can," Mulholland said.
"But our priority's Tommy Starling, we've got to get him upgraded and extended, and hopefully I'll have that done over the weekend."
