The Canberra Raiders have announced the re-signing of Ata Mariota and Michael Asomua on new deals, continuing the clubs retention of young talent.
Mariota has re-signed a new deal which will see him extend his tenure at the club for a further two seasons until the end of 2026, while Asomua will join the club’s top 30 in 2025 on a new two-year deal until the end of 2026.
Mariota debuted in 2022 but managed just one game before making a huge leap in 2023 where he featured in 16 matches for the Green Machine.
The 21-year-old really made a name for himself in Canberra’s Elimination Final loss to the Knights where he stood up without Josh Papali’i and Corey Horsburgh in the side. Mariota ran for a massive 193 metres in that final and announced himself as a future star. The prop forward has drawn comparisons to Papali’i and it’s easy to see why given how he plays.
Mariota said he’s made Canberra his home and has the trust and belief from the coaching staff and players that he can continue his upward trajectory.
“Canberra’s home now and it’s exciting to extend for another two seasons,” Mariota said. “I feel comfortable here knowing Ricky has my back and believes in me. The playing group look after me and I’m looking forward to building on last season.
“There are heaps of young guys coming through the system and it pushes me to be better. There’s also a tonne of experience there that I can lean on to make me a better player both on and off the field.”
Asomua, who is currently on a development deal for 2024, said he’s also excited about staying in Canberra with the Raiders and he would continue to work hard as he looks to press his claim for an NRL debut.
“I love playing footy for the Raiders and I want to keep getting better and hopefully make my NRL debut this year,” Asomua said.
Raiders NRL recruitment manager Joel Carbone said the re-signing of both players was a huge boost for the club and he looked forward to seeing their continued development.
“Ata showed us what he’s capable of this year and his consistency and improvement saw him awarded with the club’s rookie of the year award, while Michael had an outstanding season at NSW cup level and was named player of the year.”
“It’s always incredibly exciting to have players who have graduated from our junior representative teams reach the NRL with the Raiders and both Ata (21) and Michael (20) are great examples of that.
“Since Ata arrived for SG Ball back in 2019, he’s gone from strength to strength and is now in a great position to establish himself in the NRL team each week; Michael has been with us since Harold Matthews and while he’s yet to debut, he has impressed at every level and I’m sure if he continues his form, an NRL debut will be right around the corner.”
“They’re still young players with lots to learn, but they’ve both already shown a lot of potential with strong seasons in 2023. We’re excited to see them continue their development and stay with the club until the end of 2026.”
