Towering Canberra Raiders prop Joseph Tapine has reportedly put pen to paper on a contract extension with the club.
Tapine has been one of the most highly sought after free agents on the market alongside the likes of Cameron Munster and Ben Hunt, both of whom are yet to confirm their futures beyond the end of the 2023 season.
Tapine was another off-contract at the end of 2023, however, according to The Daily Telegraph, won't reach the November 1 deadline when he would have been able to negotiate with other clubs.
Instead, he has reportedly inked a mammoth four-year, $3.4 million dollar deal which will see him become one of the most highly-paid props in the game on around $850,000 per year.
It's understood that only the likes of James Fisher-Harris, Payne Haas, David Klemmer and Addin Fonua-Blake are on similar money to what Tapine will be paid in 2024 and beyond.
The deal could be said to be an excellent score for the Raiders, given reports suggested they would likely need to part with up to seven figures per season to secure the Kiwi prop, who will be one of the first players picked for the New Zealand Rugby League World Cup effort, with Michael Maguire's squad to head to England in October.
The report suggests Tapine could still have earned up to seven figures on the free agent, but instead, has a desire to captain the Raiders in the future, where he has played all but 20 of his 159 NRL games, having joined the club in 2016.
According to the publication, Tapine's agent Jim Banaghan has informed the Raiders on Friday that he will re-sign with the club in the coming days.
“Joseph could have got more money on the open market if he wished to wait until November 1,” Banaghan said.
“However, he prioritised being at Canberra above money. He loves playing under Ricky and he has really enjoyed this season."
The Raiders are yet to confirm the news.