The Canberra Raiders have reportedly made a call on former Sydney Roosters halfback Lachlan Lam after reports emerged that he was a target of the club.
Reports linking Lam with a move to the Canberra Raiders have been around for some time and emerged back in early June, withย News Corp reporting that it was understood that the Raiders held talks in bringing the Leigh Leopards playmaker back to the NRL.
He has since inked a new contract with the Leopards that will see him remain at the club until the end of the 2025 season and helped guide them to their first Challenge Cup since 1971, along with father and coach Adrian Lam.
On Wednesday, The Canberra Times reported that Lachlan Lam is not a target of the Canberra Raiders, despite earlier having held talks about him.
It also comes after Adrian Lam admitted that the Leopards will only have sonย Lachlan Lamย "for a short time" as he prepares to make his way back to theย NRL. A timeframe is yet to be confirmed.
The Raiders will lose both Jack Wighton (South Sydney Rabbitohs) and Matt Frawley (Leeds Rhinos) for the new season. However, the club has a couple of young players coming through the ranks who are likely to cement the five-eighth role alongside Jamal Fogarty in the halves.
These two players are Ethan Stange and Ethan Sanders.
Strange made headlines earlier this season when he scored a hattrick for theย NSWย Bluesย in the annual Under 19s State of Origin against Queensland, putting to bed any critics who don't see him as a future superstar of the game. The Central Coast product would end up earning man-of-the-match honours for the representative game.
He has also been hailed as the future of the Raiders and is the likeliest contender to take over the five-eighth role at the club.
In terms of Ethan Sanders, it has been previously reported by multiple publications that the Canberra Raiders are his likely home, with some suggestions that he could even present in the nation's capital for the start of the 2024 pre-season.
While others suggest that while he will likely be too raw for first-grade next season, the star youngster is expected to fill the void in the Raiders halves.
However, his contract with the Raiders has yet to be confirmed. This is due to reports that a new collective bargaining agreement, which was signed by the Rugby Leagueย Players Association andย NRLย earlier this year now means developed players not on Top 30 deals - of which Sanders is considered one - can't negotiate with rival clubs until Round 6 in the season they are off-contract unless they receive permission from their current club.
Before moving toย Englandย to play with the Leigh Leopards,ย Lachlan Lamย appeared in 31 games for the Roosters between 2019-2022.
A member of the club's youth system since age 13, he earned selection into the Queensland U16 team in 2014.
While he was the first-choice five-eighth for the Roosters in 2021, playing a total of 20 games, his spot was overtaken by Luke Kleary andย Sam Walker.
His move toย Englandย was also marked by his father earning the head coaching role of Leigh.
โLachlan is a proud local junior and we release him of the view that this is a unique opportunity for him to not only play inย Englandย but to join a team coached by his father Adrian,โ said Roosters head of recruitmentย Daniel Andersonย last season on Lam's release.
โWe thank Lokie for his contribution to theย Sydney Roostersย over the years and wish him all the very best in the future,โ he added.
