Raiders frontrunners to re-sign Tapine but million-dollar lure could turn his head

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 09: Joseph Tapine of the Raiders makes a break to score a try during the NRL Semi Final match between the Sydney Roosters and the Canberra Raiders at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 09, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

The Canberra Raiders are in pole position right now to retain towering forward Joseph Tapine beyond the 2023 season, but whispers of $1,000,000 offers from around the NRL may push them to the back of the pack in the signing race.

If all goes to plan for the Raiders, long-minute prop Tapine will stay in the capital beyond the end of his current NRL deal. The package he’s on stretches through to 2023 and is worth around $750,000 a year.

A veritable horde of NRL rivals has other plans for the star, however.

And, in a sting to Canberra’s plans, those emerging suitors are willing to go all the way up to Tapine’s reported $1,000,000 price tag that he’s commanded his agent to chase as he comes off-contract in November this year. That pay upgrade vastly overshadows the Raiders’ plans, which was to bump up the New Zealander’s deal by around $50,000.

The Green Machine was originally deep in conversations with Tapine before the club battled their way into finals. With the 2022 NRL playoffs a sudden-death fight for the team all the way through, the Kiwi prop asked talks to be halted.

That leaves the Raiders waiting for him to pick up the phone again and creates an opening for interested NRL parties—all of which cannot formally woo Tapine until that all-important Nov. 1 date.

There are concerns in the Raiders camp too, The Sporting Base understands, about forking out seven figures for their off-contract front rower. While Tapine has exploded this season and proven he can play big, big minutes (especially for a prop) it wasn’t long ago he was dropped to the pine over a misfiring campaign.

Other star forwards like Josh Papalii and Corey Horsburgh are already on big coin too.

Even aging skipper Elliot Whitehead is raking in around $600,000 per season until at least the 2024 NRL season, meaning the Raiders have to be very careful with how they balance their books as the middle of the decade approaches.

Canberra would be happy taking things slow with Tapine and eeking out better value—and a happy middle ground—but a half-dozen hungry clubs (none openly chasing the star yet due to contract policies) circling puts a big dent in that plan. The Sporting Base has heard the Raiders are already considering lifting their points package up to around $900,000 for the 28-year-old.

The Kiwi star is happy to let things ride for now though: “If it sorts out before November 1 we’ll be happy, and if we have to wait, we’ll wait. I’m not fussed… I’m letting my footy do the talking.”

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