Christmas has officially come early for the Canberra Raiders with confirmation the club has fast-tracked the arrival 19-year-old Brisbane Broncos playmaker Coby Black.
Already linked to the Raiders from 2027, Black’s management had been agitating for an early release from the Broncos which has now been granted.
The move paves the way for Black to link with Ricky Stuart’s squad 12 months ahead of schedule and begin the process of forging a playmaking partnership with boom Raiders five-eighth Ethan Strange.
According to a statement from the Raiders, Black has inked a three-year deal and will join the club immediately.
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Raiders Recruitment Manager Chris Hutchison said the 2025 NRL minor premiers were excited to welcome the Queensland Under 19 star into its squad for 2026.
“Coby is a great young player and we’re very excited to welcome him to Canberra this season and continue his development at the Raiders,” Hutchison said.
“He has shown strong ability already, progressing through the ranks to debut in QLD Cup at the age of 18.”
Still just 19, Black is yet to make his NRL debut having found himself stuck behind a log-jam of halves options at Brisbane.
He now gets the chance to audition as halves partner for Ethan Strange at Canberra following the off-season departure of veteran Jamal Fogarty to Manly and uncertainty around the NRL development of 21-year-old half Ethan Sanders.
The terms of Black’s release from Brisbane have not yet been made public.