Canberra is continuing to pay for its decision to sign Matt Orford, with the Raiders seeking an NRL determination to have the former halfback's release payment wiped from their 2012 salary cap.
The Raiders yesterday signed former Manly and North Queensland Cowboys winger Michael Bani to a one-year deal, but the 27-year-old won't feature in Canberra's 2012 salary cap because he is not among the club's top-25 paid players.
Despite being released by the Raiders at the end of last season because of chronic groin injury concerns, Orford remains on Canberra's 2012 salary cap due to a substantial release payment - believed to be more than $70,000.
Where applicable, payouts to departing players are included in the following year's salary cap as a protective measure to prevent clubs rorting the system and back-paying players after they leave.
The Raiders and Orford agreed to part ways at the end of 2011 after the former Dally M Player of the Year was only fit to suit up in seven NRL matches.
NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert was in Canberra on Tuesday to commence an adjudication on the Raiders 2012 salary cap.
Raiders chief executive Don Furner conceded to The Canberra Times yesterday that Orford was still in Canberra's 2012 cap, but Furner said he was preparing a submission for concession on medical grounds.
''[The salary cap rule on payouts] is there for a reason and I understand that, it's a protective measure because clubs could easily backload players and pay them after they've retired,'' Furner said.
''But we'll be making a submission on medical grounds that the NRL consider giving us some salary cap relief. I'm hopeful that they look favourably on our submission.''
Despite signing Bani, the Raiders remain in the market for an outside back should a rival club have to offload a player close to the 2012 season because of their own salary cap issues.
The Raiders were close to signing former Bulldogs winger Cameron Phelps before he landed a deal with Widnes in the English Super League.
''Could we pick up one more player, yes we could,'' Furner said.
Raiders recruitment manager David Hamilton said, ''All the clubs are being audited at the moment and some clubs may be forced to cut players, so you can't rush into it.''
Bani, from Thursday Island, became a dugong-eating cult hero during his rookie 2007 season when Manly eventually lost to the Melbourne Storm in the grand final. He transferred to the Cowboys in 2009, but an ankle injury restricted him to two NRL appearances in 2011.
Bani was released by the Cowboys at the end of last year to return to his partner in Sydney, who recently gave birth to their first child.
He began training on Tuesday with Canberra's feeder club, the Mounties in Western Sydney, and is expected to join the Raiders for pre-season training next week. ''This year we need someone who's been there and done that and he's got 42 NRL games under his belt,'' Hamilton said.
