Martin makes a capital move: Former Bathurst junior inks deal with Raiders

Young Newcastle Jersey Flegg captain and Bathurst junior Myles Martin, a member of the Knights top 30 senior squad this season, will quit the club at the end of the year to link up with the Raiders coach in the national capital after agreeing to a three-year deal.

He'll join other former Knights Joe Tapine, Danny Levi, Hudson Young, Pasami Saulo, Tom Starling, Zac Hosking, Simi Sasagi and Zac Woolford at the Raiders.

News of Martin's departure comes less than 12 months after he played lock for NSW under-19s against Queensland.

He also captained Newcastle's SG Ball side to last season's grand final, where his side went down 28-22 to Parramatta in the under-19 competition.

Martin, who just turned 20, has been highly rated since being poached from the Parramatta Eels a few years ago and the club tried unsuccessfully to re-sign him at the end of last year.

But after off-season leg surgery, Knights insiders say his progress has stalled this year and we're told there was only lukewarm interest in retaining him before the Raiders swooped. The suggestion is that other retention priorities had jumped him in the queue.

Time will tell if he comes back to bite them.

Intriguingly, it is unclear if Martin's signing could potentially open the door for a possible player trade prior to June 30 with the Knights having signed Raiders winger James Schiller for 2025.