Jamal Fogarty has officially signed with the Canberra Raiders on a three-year deal, after the halfback was granted an early release by the Gold Coast Titans.
The 27-year-old had signed a contract extension with the Titans earlier this year , and was set to remain at the club until the end of 2023.
But in a huge turn of events, Fogarty will now head to the nation's capital next year and remain in Raiders' colours until the end of 2024.
“I’m super excited about coming down and meeting the squad,” Fogarty said.
“Raiders have a great roster and coach in Ricky and they’ve had some success over the past few seasons and I’m really excited to join them and be a part of it.”
“I’m looking to bring a bit of game management and direction to the team, and this is what I’ve based my career on. I’m also a really clear communicator and if I need to tell someone on the field what to do, I’m confident in doing that.
"Hopefully, I can bring what I’ve learned and I’m also really excited to work with Ricky and the other coaches to help improve my game.”
Fogarty has played 41 games for the Titans between 2017 and 2021, and was named co-captain of the club this year.
The former Australian Schoolboys representative said he is looking forward to linking up with some of the Raiders' players - namely front-rower Josh Papalii , who he was famously ankle-tapped by in 2020.
“I think it’s going to be a really good ice breaker actually and something I can have a bit of a laugh with the boys about when I first get to training,” he said.
“Budgy Smuggler actually sent me a couple of pairs of the budgies with the ankle tap moment on them and I wear them around the house. Maybe I’ll wear them in the ice bath on my first day as I think a bit of fun and humour is great.”
“Playing with someone like Jack (Wighton) is something I’m really looking forward to and building a relationship with him on-field.
“He’s an X-factor player and hopefully I can do my job and help to free him up and do what he does best.
“Living in Canberra is something my family is excited about. I’m nearly 28 years old and I’ve never seen snow before so I’m looking forward to checking it out and I’ve heard some really good things about Canberra, the club and the players with families being nice and tight, so we’re looking forward to being part of that.”
Fogarty's departure from the Titans comes as the club look towards the future, with young guns Toby Sexton, AJ Brimson and Tanah Boyd set to battle it out for spots in the halves.
Titans coach Justin Holbrook thanked the departing playmaker for his contributions on the Gold Coast.
“Jamal has played an important role at our club over the past two seasons and has been the ultimate professional,” he said.
“I want to thank him for the contribution that he has made to the Titans and we wish Jamal, Kahlia and their family all the best for the future.”