Despite heavy interest from the Wests Tigers, young Raiders back-rower Sam Mataora has made the decision to remain loyal to Canberra, re-signing with the club on a new 2-year deal.
Mataora, who made his debut for the club in 2010, became a key target for the Tigers – who are looking to bolster their forward depth, following the departure of two props last year, and English back-rower Gareth Ellis at the end of this year.
Despite that however, Mataora agreed to a new 2-year deal on Tuesday night, citing loyalty as the reason behind his decision.
“They’ve helped me out and this is where I started off, so I still wanted to give something back,” Mataora said yesterday.
“They [the Tigers] were pretty persistent, but I decided to stay.
“I was thinking about it [leaving], but I think I can push through here and try and get a starting spot.”