Joel Monaghan re-signs with Raiders
Australian Test winger Joel Monaghan has signed a new contract to remain with Canberra until the end of the 2012 NRL season but the Raiders have ruled out making a move to bring his brother Michael to the nation's capital.
Since rejoining the Raiders from the Sydney Roosters in 2008, the younger Monaghan has blossomed, earning representative jumpers for NSW Country, State of Origin, Prime Minister's XIII and Australia.
Canberra chief executive Don Furner said the 26-year-old was sorely missed during his three year absence and securing him long-term was a major boon for the club.
"(Joel) never wanted to go to be frank but the Sydney Roosters had big cheque-books and pinched him away, a local junior, which didn't sit well with us," Furner said on Friday.
"We were really lucky to get him back. He's played his best footy here, his parents, his friends and family are here and like most of the guys here, they like living in Canberra so it's a good thing for Canberra too."
With the distraction of the World Cup late last year, Monaghan said negotiations with the Raiders didn't properly begin until Christmas.
"I was never really leaving, it was just working out the best deal for me and the club," he said.
"(The contract) is going to take me up close to 30, so I'm very happy that I'm going to be here, hopefully finish my career here, and hopefully get to help out the younger blokes."
There has been plenty of talk in recent weeks that Monaghan could reunite with his halfback brother Michael at Canberra this season.
Michael Monaghan has completed just one season of a four-year deal with Warrington in England but the 28-year-old former Manly skipper is reportedly homesick and very keen to return to the NRL.
With Canberra's two halfbacks Marc Herbert (six NRL games) and Josh McCrone (yet to debut) very inexperienced, Michael Monaghan (126 NRL games) would be a sensational addition to the side and perfect partner for Test player and five-eighth Terry Campese.
But CEO Furner said the Raiders had not progressed any further in talks with Michael Monaghan as the club were backing their young halves and hookers Glen Buttriss and Stuart Flanagan to do the job for them this year.
"My focus was the fact that we've got two young hookers and two young halfbacks and all four of them would have to fall over and not produce this year for us to look to Michael," he said.
"We'd like to have him here but he's on a very good deal over there and we've planned for these two hookers and two halfbacks that we've got, these young guys, so we're not progressing any talks there."
The next major negotiation for the Raiders is extending the deal of red-hot pivot Campese.
Campese, who is in line for a NSW debut this season, is signed until 2010 after protracted negotiations last year finally come through.
The club had pulled their offer to the 24-year-old as they pursued Trent Barrett, but once Barrett signed with Cronulla Campese's deal quickly eventuated.
His stocks rose considerably after that with a brilliant end to the year by guiding Canberra to the finals after the fallout from Todd Carney's sacking and earning Test selection in the World Cup.
"He actually signed up for two years last year, but we'd like to extend that, we're talking to his manager and him about upgrading and extending (the contract)," said Furner.
"There's no huge rush but we'll certainly sit down in the next few weeks and start that."
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