After weeks of speculation, the Canberra Raiders have announced the signing of English International Morgan Smithies on a three-year deal starting in 2024.

The 22-year-old has played 114 matches for the Wigan Warriors since making his debut in 2019, including 105 Super League matches and 9 appearances in the Challenge Cup. He also represented England for the first time this season in their mid-season test match against France.

Smithies capped off a wonderful season with victory for Wigan in the Super League Grand Final against the Catalans Dragons. 

The talented youngster offers the club versatility in the forwards, playing predominantly as a lock, but can also play on an edge. He follows the footsteps of several English players who have successfully made the transition into the NRL at the Raiders including the likes of Elliott Whitehead, Josh Hodgson and John Bateman. 

Raiders NRL Recruitment Manager Joel Carbone said Smithies is a young player who comes to the club with experience in big games and will be a valuable addition to the Raiders squad. 

“Morgan has already achieved a lot of success in his short career, and we’re very excited about him joining the club over the next three seasons,” Carbone said.

“He’s come from a very strong, successful system, which will put him in good stead in his transition into the NRL.

“We expect him to add substantial value to our team and complement our young core moving forward. While he’s only a young man himself, he has already played over 100 first-team games, including Super League & Challenge Cup finals, and will come over a Super League champion after their grand final win only a few weeks ago.”