Canberra boss Don Furner and recruitment manager Peter Mulholland are confident of keeping the bulk of their grand final squad past the 2020 NRL season.
The Raiders are playing their first grand final in 25 years, which will be against the Sydney Roosters at ANZ Stadium on Sunday, but Furner admits the success will come at a cost.
The Green Machine rookies who flourished this season will have their contracts upgraded which means Canberra are set to lose some senior players, Furner conceded.
Wingers Jordan Rapana and Nick Cotric, centres Jarrod Croker and Joey Leilua, halfback Aidan Sezer and prop Sia Soliola are all off contract either this year or next.
It means they can start talking to rival clubs from November 1.
Rapana is set for a move to Japanese rugby union and it’s understood Canberra are comfortable with Leilua and Sezer talking to other clubs, but they’re keen to lock down Croker, Cotric and Soliola.
Canberra have 18 of their 30 man roster contracted until at least the end of 2021, and Furner said he was comfortable with their position but admitted there were challenges.
“We want to work on a couple but we are in good shape for the next couple of years, obviously there will be some pressure in 2021 and 2022,” Furner told AAP.
“Roster management is not an exact art form – you plan but you don’t know who is going to get injured, you don’t know who is going to get a better offer and leave.”
Canberra assistant coach Andrew McFadden concedes the decider against the Roosters is the last time this group will play together.
“There’s probably going to be a few moving on at the end of the year but that happens with every team and you just have to take the moment,” McFadden said.
“They’re all very excited and tight and I’m sure they’ll take their moment.”
The Raiders will move into a $19 million facility next season, which Furner said will help recruitment but admitted a winning culture can hinder keeping players.
“Without a doubt (a successful season) puts pressure on keeping players,” Furner said.
“Young guys this year that have come into first grade because of injuries we had to the senior guys, they were all on small contracts but they don’t stay on small contracts.
“Charnze (Nicoll-Klokstad), Bailey (Simonnson), Corey (Horsburgh), Emre (Guler), and Hudson (Young), they all have certain kickers in their contracts.
“It all puts pressure on the cap and that’s one of the prices of success.
“We had a really good year in 2016 and had to let some players go – Paul Vaughan, Edrick Lee, Fenno (Shaun Fensom). It’s really hard.”
Mulholland believes some players are more motivated by opportunity than money and pointed to Nicoll-Klokstad, who took a pay cut leaving the Warriors this season.
“There’s quite a few kids who will take that pay cut and it just proves that money is not what motivates them,” Mulholland said.
“I don’t want to be miserly but I know I’ve got a limited amount to spend and if they’re prepared to take that spend it means they’re prepared to take an opportunity to prove themselves.”
While the Raiders opened their doors for their captain’s run and made assistant coach McFadden available to media, the Roosters performed a closed-door session.
Canberra are at full-strength and NRL officials are expecting the 80,000-strong crowd to be 60 per cent Raiders supporters.