CANBERRA coach Ricky Stuart proved himself every inch a Raider, poaching Titans five-eighth Aidan Sezer and then locking his sights on Cowboys Test prop James Tamou.

Gold Coast’s $4 million pursuit of Daly Cherry-Evans has cost them Sezer, who will on Friday sign a $1.5 million deal with the Raiders after the Titans failed in their last-ditch bid to keep him.

The Titans only tabled a formal offer to Sezer on Friday morning but it was too little, too late.

Stuart had been privately wooing Sezer for weeks when many thought the Bankstown junior was mulling over potential moves to the Roosters or Sea Eagles.

media_camera Aidan Sezer of the Titans is tackled during the round five NRL match between the Gold Coast Titans and the Brisbane Broncos at Cbus Super Stadium on April 3, 2015 on the Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

Sezer did not return calls on Thursday night but his manager, Sam Ayoub, said the five-eighth and wife Raziye were not desperate to return to Sydney.

“Ricky had a number of chats with him. They made a good offer and it’s a club that’s building and on the rise,” Ayoub said.

“That’s nothing against the other clubs that have shown interest but it’s a club that’s appealed to him. They’re a good club that’s been down a little and they’re recovering.”

Titans CEO Graham Annesley declined to comment given the signing had not been confirmed and Ayoub said the Gold Coast only tabled an offer at the eleventh hour.

“We only received an offer from the Gold Coast (yesterday) morning,” he said. “He’s got a really good relationship with Neil (coach Henry).

“He’s not unhappy there. He’s bought a property at Palm Beach.

“There was an opportunity for him to move on.

“The Titans have a bit invested in that area and weren’t prepared to go to the dollars Aidan deserves going forward.”

Stuart, already an enemy of the state as a star half-back and then successful coach with NSW, will not endear himself to fans north of the border if he backs up his Sezer coup with the signature of Tamou.

Despite being contracted to the Cowboys until the end of 2016, Tamou has fielded inquiries from three rival NRL clubs as speculation intensifies he is mulling over a release on compassionate grounds.

Cowboys hierarchy are aware Tamou has options and will consider granting a release, but will not subsidise any deal that sees him playing against North Queensland next season.

media_camera James Tamou takes on the Broncos defence.

Ayoub, who also manages Tamou, confirmed the Raiders had inquired about Tamou’s“contractual position”.

And while he insists the approach was not formal, The Courier-Mail understands it is the first step in Canberra’s hope of snaring the 113kg prop Stuart turned into an Origin enforcer.

In 2012, Tamou was aligned with New Zealand when Stuart — then coach of the Blues — convinced him to defect to NSW and Australia.

Stuart was tight-lipped yesterday, but made no secret of his admiration for a player he helped mentor into one of the NRL’s top props two years ago before Tamou’s struggles with a neck injury.

“I keep hearing we are interested,” Stuart said.

“Look ... James is a great player and I enjoyed coaching him in State of Origin.

“At the moment, there’s been no formal communication. We can’t fit him into the salary cap at the moment, but there are always balls up in the air at any club.

media_camera Ricky Stuart says the Raiders can’t afford Tamou at the moment.

“Don Furner (Raiders CEO) looks at the salary cap here and that’s fine by me.”

It is understood family is a key factor in Tamou’s possible move to the Raiders.

His partner Brittney McGlone is close to giving birth to the couple’s second child and has links to Canberra, with her family owning a 269-hectare farm at Braidwood, 87km southeast of the nation’s capital.

McGlone previously trained at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra and it is believed she still has career ambitions in track-and-field.

media_camera Tamou’s wife, Brittney McGlone wants to continue her athletics career.

Tamou began the season slowly after neck surgery but the Cowboys are determined not to lose him after his outstanding display against Penrith last Monday night.

The loss of Sezer has added even more intrigue to who will partner Cherry-Evans next year at the Titans.

Rookie half-back Kane Elgey is also off-contract and being heavily pursued by Manly, who have lost Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran to Parramatta.

Elgey is expected to tour Manly’s headquarters next week after he knocked back a three-year contract extension from the Titans.