The Canberra Raiders have confirmed duo Josh Hodgson and Bailey Simonsson have signed with the Parramatta Eels on multi-year deals.

Hodgson has signed a two-year deal commencing in 2023, while Simonsson will join Parramatta immediately for the 2022 season on a three-year deal.

After months of speculation, Hodgson’s future is now secure and will see out his contract with the Raiders in 2022, with Tom Starling likely Canberra’s long-term hooker. 

Arriving in 2015, Hodgson became an integral part of the Raiders set up and was made co-captain in 2019 as Canberra made its grand final run.

However, an ACL injury in 2020 followed by an underwhelming 2021 season saw the 32-year-old resign as captain and forced him to look elsewhere for another contract.

Raiders CEO Don Furner paid tribute to Hodgson and said he would continue to be a valuable asset for the upcoming season.

“Josh Hodgson arrived from England in 2015 with little fanfare and developed into a great player and leader at this club,” Furner said.

“He led the way for a wave of UK players who joined the Raiders and helped turn the Club around.

“His record which includes three Preliminary finals, and one Grand Final is something he can be proud of,” Furner said.

“We’re very fortunate to have Josh for the 2022 season and we know his professionalism, experience and football ability will be a huge asset for us this season before he departs.”

Meanwhile, Simonsson will join the Eels for the next three seasons and should provide extra backline depth for the club.

The 23-year-old winger scored 15 tries in his 43 games for Canberra and was also part of the Raiders 2019 grand final side.

Furner wished Simonsson well at his new club and said Canberra would happily welcome him back in the future.

“Bailey Simonsson is a young player with a bright future ahead of him and although it’s always hard to see good players who are also good people leave the club, we wish him nothing but the best,” Furner said.

“He’s a very talented player who has developed while at our club and we would always welcome him back.”

Cotric Raiders return wide open

The departure of Simonsson could pave the way for Canberra local Nick Cotric to return to the Raiders after just one year at the Bulldogs.

His move should allow Cotric to fit back into Canberra’s salary cap, with the Bulldogs looking to move on the final two years of his deal at the club.

Cotric arrived as one of the Bulldogs’ first big signings for 2021, but struggled in a side that won just three games for the season

He scored just three tries in 14 games for the wooden spoon side during a year ruined by shoulder and toe injuries.

If he does go, the Bulldogs will still have to contribute somewhat to his salary of close to $600,000.

However his exit would then alleviate some of the salary cap pressure on the club, who have been the biggest movers on the market this off-season.

Cotric spent four years at the Raiders between 2017 and 2020, scoring 46 tries in 93 games before moving to Belmore.

With AAP

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