Canberra Raiders ‘abandon’ potential deal for Super League star over transfer fee demands

Danny Walker will not be joining NRL side Canberra – after the Raiders walked away from a potential deal for the Warrington Wolves hooker over what has been described as a ‘ridiculous’ transfer request.

Walker had attracted serious interest from the Raiders about a switch to the NRL next season, with his impressive form in Super League not going unnoticed in recent months.

Canberra have already struck a deal to sign Wire forward Matty Nicholson for 2025 and beyond, and had turned their attention to Walker as the next player on their hit-list – and the latest Super League star they wanted to lure to the Australian capital.

But according to reports Down Under, the deal is now off. Canberra have seemingly walked away from negotiations due to the fact they felt Walker’s asking price was simply too high.

They have paid fees for players in the past and were prepared to do so again when it came to the England hooker.

However, with the reports suggesting Warrington’s asking price was ‘ridiculous’, Canberra have turned their attention elsewhere and abandoned any move for the hooker.

Interestingly, reports have also suggested that Wire head coach Sam Burgess could be trying to orchestrate a deal to get Walker to join his former club, South Sydney Rabbitohs. But one thing appears certain: Walker will not be a Canberra player in 2025.

It represents a significant piece of good news for Warrington, who were prepared to let Walker leave if the price was right. However, they always preferred to hold onto the hooker and it looks as though they will now do exactly that.

The Wire are still in the running to finish second in Super League going into the final round of fixtures. They host London Broncos on Friday night but require a slip-up from Hull KR when they face Leeds Rhinos.

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