Please note that the numbers below are based on data contained in the RLP database, and may not be accurate. Corkery was a Raiders fan as a kid, and before the club joined the competition in 1982, he put a few entries into the competition to design the club jersey. Tigers fans have plenty to look forward to in the coming years, especially with a talented group of young guns ready to take the NRL by storm. Wood was inducted into the Canberra Raiders Hall of Fame in 2020. Unfortunately, he missed selection for the 1994 grand final. Karapani was a constant fixture in NSW Cup for the Bunnies in 2022 and with a lack of depth in the clubs backline, the young gun looks poised to make the jump to the NRL this year. Canberra Raiders respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work Canberra will now field five teams this year, including their under-17s, under-19s and under-18s women's team. European A product of the Broncos Academy system, Mozer comes into the season with plenty of upside and will be hoping to push the likes of Billy Walters and Cory Paix for the No.9 jumper. Keep an eye on Paul Alamoti in 2023 #NSWCup #KOECup pic.twitter.com/aJSg5mKhjR. "We haven't fielded a Raiders team in this competition since 2007 and we know our members and supporters will definitely identify more with a team wearing our famous green jersey. After a fantastic 2022 campaign that saw the Eels make the grand final, Brad Arthur will be forced into somewhat of a rebuild following the exit of some key players. A shoulder reconstruction ruined his 2005 season and he returned as a front rower, but was not able to secure another contract. Diego Maradona from the slums to superstar! Standing at 194cm and weighing in at over 110kg, the front-rower is banging on the door for the Sea Eagles and is locked into the clubs top 30 roster for the next two years. (Canberra Raiders) Speaking of experience, and it doesn't get much better than Canberra Raiders' enforcer Josh Papalii. If youre after great odds on every NRL match try signing up for PlayUp. Iro finished the year as NSW Cup Player of the Year for the entire competition, finishing with 17 linebreaks and 14 tries for the Jets, before capping off the year by representing Cook Islands in the World Cup. Go head to head with other fans to pick your best players and compete in daily NRL fantasy competitions with Draftstars its free to join. Who makes the cut as the best of the best in the number one jersey? He then joined the South Sydney Rabbitohs when they were readmitted to the competition and played three seasons for them and being named Clubman of the Year in back-to-back seasons before retiring, having played over 200 first grade games. Ireland 44 wins 46 losses. He then returned to Australia for two final seasons with Newcastle, falling just six short of 200 career games. Middle East With an upgrade to the club's top 30 and one year to run on his contract with the Cowboys, Price will be hoping to make his presence felt in the NRL this year. The powerfully built half was both a Dally M Medalist and a premiership winner, with over 240 games under his belt by the time he joined the Raiders for the 2011 season. Mariota tips the scales at close to 115kg but is extremely mobile for a front-rower, and with the club signing him on for the next two years, a permanent spot in the first grade lineup cant be too far away. Stocks flash rare bull-market signal for first time in nearly 3 years. An electric outside back with speed to burn, Brennan came to the Raiders in 1994 at the age of 32 and never really recaptured his best form, as injuries restricted him to just eight appearances in three years. He unluckily did not get on the field for Canberras 1994 grand final win after being named on the interchange bench and playing in both lead-up finals victories. He played just two games that year before moving on, playing the bulk of his career in England, including four Test matches for Wales. s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', 3. After playing some footy with the Maitland Pickers, Tilse is now a youth worker in Newcastle. The club's Flegg coach Peter Marrapodi will take charge of the team. 30 tries. With the likes of Ryan Sutton and Adam Elliott moving on at the end of last year, there is likely a spot opening up in Canberra's middle-forward rotation that the 21-year-old will undoubtedly be striving for. Marata Niukore, Isaiah Papali'i, Reed Mahoney, Oregon Kaufusi and Ray Stone have all moved on from the blue and gold, leaving some major holes in the side's forward pack. After a stellar showing in the Rugby League World Cup, teenage playmaker Isaiya Katoa will be pushing for a spot in the Dolphins side to start next year. You must provide an email address to create a Roar account, When using Facebook to create or log in to an account, you need to grant The Roar permission to see your email address, By joining The Roar you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. David Nana Grant was a founding member of the Raiders after stints in the 1970s with Souths, Easts and mostly Balmain, where he played 50 games over four seasons. Since the arrival of another option he's only playing 38.3 minutes a game and the Raiders have won four games and only lost twice. The Raiders will look to return to the Jersey Flegg competition in 2022 while also maintaining a team in the NSW Cup. Death was the clubs Rookie of the Year in 1991 and went on to play five seasons with the club. Appeared on this list last year and while his debut didnt come in 2022, there is the belief that Paul Alamoti is ready to explode onto the scene in 2023. David Grant (79) 1982-1985. Indigenous players have had a significant impact on the Raiders in the club's 34-year history. With the likes of Viliame Kikau and Jmaine Hopgood moving on at the end of 2022, Penrith have some vacancies in their back-row rotation and Riki will be hoping he can help fill the void. On top of that, Ronald Volkman - who was at one stage seen as Sam Walker's long-term partner - was allowed to walk away from the club and join the Warriors mid-way through 2022. A promising junior from Cooma, Flanagan played four games for the Raiders in 2009 before heading to the Sharks in 2010, where he was one of the casualties of the supplements debacle. A Canberra junior with a rugby union background, Maguire played 11 times for the Raiders between 1992 and 1996. His younger brother Sione has also signed a development deal and is an outside back with plenty of upside. Fensom himself had a match to forget, suffering a nasty broken leg just a few minutes into the match. One-half of the newly-recruited set of brothers at the Red V, Haele Finau comes to the club with plenty of potential and aspirations of cracking the top grade. He appeared in five finals matches for the club across four seasons and unfortunately lost all of them. Laurie Daley: 244 matches (445 points); Dally M Five-Eighth of the Year (1995, 96); Dally M Player of the Year (1995); Dally M Captain of the Year (1996 . The teenage local junior scored four tries in 15 games of NSW Cup last season, averaging 150 run metres per game, but had a few injury concerns throughout the campaign. Luke Davico (176) 1994-2004. "Of course they are mate, they enjoy what they do, they're talented at it and we've got a lot of other black fellas who are the same," Backo said. He played in Canberra for Woden Valley in 1981, but moved back to Queensland to play for the Yeppoon Seagulls in 1982 before returning to the ACT to join the Raiders in 1983. Ricky Stuart has proven in recent years that he isnt afraid to blood young talent, with the likes of Matt Timoko and Xavier Savage performing admirably during the Raiders run to the finals in 2022. South East Asian You have skipped the navigation, tab for page content. Rugby league is certainly in David Boyles genes. He is of South Sea Island descent. Nathan Smith Jason Death was a clever hooker who could easily have made this team for North Queensland, the NZ Warriors and Souths, but his 57 games for Canberra from his debut just pips them all. His impact has continued to make strides today, with the Brisbane Broncos now being home to upcoming Filipino player, Payne Haas, who recently made his debut in first-grade NRL. Raiders re-sign Havili. As we noted in June. In, 2011 Fensom made 75 tackles in a single match to equal the NRL record held by Nathan Hindmarsh. Matthew Corkery played six season for the Raiders, including appearing in their first grand final in 1997. African The tackling machine played 176 NRL games across an 11-year career and was one of the Raiders best during his eight years at the club. He also played seven games for Queensland, the last of which was the first-ever Origin game in 1980. The Raiders pre-season will see players return over the first three weeks based on their experience level as per NRL Guidelines. A talented and crafty hooker, Finau has inked a development contract heading into the season, but has already signed on for the clubs top 30 in 2024 and could feasibly make the jump sooner if he impresses during pre-season. One of the most talked about young players in rugby league, Jonah Pezet is a star in waiting at Melbourne and the club are well aware of it. Not since Brett and Josh Morris has there been this much excitement about twin brothers in the NRL. Tilse started with Newcastle in 2004 but moved to the Raiders two years later after being sacked by the Knights for unbecoming conduct. 10. A talented multi-sport athlete, Kobe Rugless joined the Knights last year after coming through the Roosters system as a teenager. Weaver is locked in a battle with Toby Sexton and Tanah Boyd for a spot in the halves at the club. A tough hooker or front rower, Beardmore was the first of Canberras English imports. James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. . 4 finals 3 wins. n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; Cronulla clearly have high hopes for Iro, with the club re-signing him until the end of 2024 and promoting him to their top 30 roster for the next two years. At the under-20s level he played halfback for Melbourne, too. A talented and crafty hooker, Finau has inked a development contract heading into the season, but has already signed on for the club's top 30 in 2024 and could feasibly make the jump sooner if he impresses during pre-season. 6. "I was playing for all my mob," Backo explains. Crowd increase, possible BBL final for Manuka, Harrison man arrested for alleged scam that saw woman $70k poorer, Liberals urge government to reverse APS Australia Day rule, It was a normal day, until black leaves started to fall, 'We're very well prepared': ACT rural fire boss says, Gas customers to face bill shock despite cost-of-living measures, How a bushfire tragedy reshaped Canberra's suburbs, Terms and Conditions - Digital Subscription, Terms and Conditions - Newspaper Subscription. 12. One of the positions that Brisbane are yet to lock down on a long-term basis is hooker and thats exactly where Blake Mozer comes into the equation for 2023. He is quite explosive out of dummy half. Arabic The Kepus are both signed to the clubs top 30 roster until the end of 2024, and it would be no surprise to see at least one of them debut this season. After a stellar showing in the Rugby League World Cup, teenage playmaker Isaiya Katoa will be pushing for a spot in the Dolphins side to start next year. After leaving the Raiders, Milne moved to Mackay and played three seasons with the Mackay Cutters in the Queensland Cup, winning a premiership in 2013. Heading into the new season, The Sporting News have compiled a list of every club's best rookie player yet to make . English Premier League table 2022/23: Updated EPL standings and race for title, Champions League places, and relegation survival, A-League Men signings 2022-23: Transfers, departures, squad news and coaches for every club, Weak sales update sees Redbubble popped again, China ready to tighten screws on iron ore trading, ASX mostly flat after more US earnings reports: Aus shares 0.02% lower at noon. "Guys like David Grant, Percy Knight, Terry Wickey and Lui Bon played a pretty big part in those early years in '82, '83 and '84," Meninga said. if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; Tom Learoyd-Lahrs: 109 matches; 4 Tests for Australia; 4 matches for NSW. After 1992, Wood was only a fill-in, playing no more than five matches in each of his last four seasons with the club. Last year, the likes of Ezra Mam and Tolutau Koula made the jump to the top grade and made an immediate impact for their respective sides. Copyright 2021 Cultural Pulse. Riki was a prominent fixture in Penrith's NSW Cup premiership-winning side last year, scoring seven tries and averaging 74 run metres per game. 2 finals 1 win. 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); A standout at schoolboy level, Katoa was able to keep Dragons star Talatau Amone out of the Tongan side in the RLWC, which is proof that he is ready to make the jump to first grade. Who makes the cut as the best of the best in the number six jersey? "We should be very proud of ourselves of what the game can do for Indigenous people.". In 2022, he is coaching the Eden Tigers. We care about the protection of your data. Despite only playing four senior games for the Canberra Raiders due to an injury that cut his career short, de la Cruz made a huge impact in the NRL, being the first person with Filipino ancestry to play first-grade rugby league. Dear Santa: What every NRL coach is putting at top of their Christmas wish list, Round 1 Predicted Teams - Raiders: Ricky reckons Canberra a top-four team with settled roster. Death also played in the clubs 1995 finals campaign. He debuted in first grade the following year and by 2012 had experienced two finals campaigns with the club, taken out two Player of the Year awards and had his name mentioned regularly when rep teams were discussed. England 9 tries. 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Hooker: Glen Buttriss (119) 2008-2015. Please gamble responsibly. If youre after great odds on every NRL match try signing up for PlayUp. 5 finals 5 losses. Nanai had his first full season in first-grade during the 2022 campaign, but immediately became one of the game's best edge forwards. Hopefully I get a few more games playing Cup next year.". Access unlimited news content and The Canberra Times app. The 19-year-old played 10 games of QLD Cup last year, setting up five tries and kicking 12 goals, and will likely continue to ply his trade in that competition when the season commences. A Manly junior, Blake played 66 games on the northern beaches in a six-year stint before heading to the nations capital for the 1985 and 1986 seasons, where he was selected in just seven games. Become a member to join in Australia's biggest sporting debate, submit articles, receive updates straight to your inbox and keep up with your favourite teams and authors. Appearances: Canberra Raiders games only, not a total of their career games. Go head to head with other fans to pick your best players and compete in daily NRL fantasy competitions with Draftstars its free to join. After leaving the NRL with over 150 first grade games, Withers spent a further five seasons in the English Super League, racking up another 113 matches for Celtic Crusaders and Hull Kingston Rovers. Terry Martin played six seasons with the Raiders, including appearing in their 2002 and 2003 finals campaigns. Leaving Canberra in 1996, he went on to play over 250 games at the top level in both Australia and England. Riki was a prominent fixture in Penriths NSW Cup premiership-winning side last year, scoring seven tries and averaging 74 run metres per game. Last season was a big step up for me going into development straight out of school and it was just all about learning, he told the clubs website. Hailing from Mt Isa, Tassell made his debut when he turned out for Canberra in the 1992 season. The son of former Kiwis player Kevin Iro and the nephew of Tony Iro, the 22-year-old is in the mix to push for a spot in the Sharks backline year after a stellar NSW Cup campaign for Newtown. For some reason he then returned to freeze in our nations capital for ten seasons, before heading further south to Melbourne to finish his career. Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? When on the field the clubs 2005 Rookie of the Year managed to score 23 tries in just 50 matches. He left the Raiders in 2017 to join the North Queensland Cowboys and played in the front row as they stormed to the grand final, only to fall at the final hurdle. The teenage local junior scored four tries in 15 games of NSW Cup last season, averaging 150 run metres per game, but had a few injury concerns throughout the campaign. 11. Alex Corvo One-half of the newly-recruited set of brothers at the Red V, Haele Finau comes to the club with plenty of potential and aspirations of cracking the top grade. What was the best and worst premiership decider in the quarter-century of the NRL? Mataele is signed to a development deal for 2023, but there is no reason why he couldnt receive an upgrade or force his way into the top 17 at some stage during the year. With a heated battle for the fullback role between Iro, Will Kennedy and Kade Dykes, this young gun is certainly one to keep an eye on heading into the season. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. Starling was playing 65.7 minutes a game as Canberra stumbled to a 3-6 start before Woolford's arrival. "Two per cent is about the overall percentage of Indigenous people in the Australian population, so when you look at that, elite sport outweighs the general consensus. 64 wins 82 losses. 46 tries. Some absolute champions of the game have donned the lime green jersey since the Raiders came into the NSWRL competition in 1982. 4 finals 2 wins. The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The 19-year-old played 10 games of QLD Cup last year, setting up five tries and kicking 12 goals, and will likely continue to ply his trade in that competition when the season commences. 21 wins 29 losses. Weaver is locked in a battle with Toby Sexton and Tanah Boyd for a spot in the halves at the club. Canberra have a handy set of props here. Kris Tassell I think he is going to be one of those players that can game manage from the hooker position, his manager Michael Cincotta toldThe Daily Telegraph. A nuggety fleet-footed hooker in the same mould as Brandon Smith, the 22-year-old has previously captained the Western Suburbs Jersey Flegg side and won the clubs Player of the Year award in that competition. His son Morgan has played nearly 50 NRL matches for the Gold Coast and Manly. The teenager joins the clubs top 30 roster this year and despite limited appearances in QLD Cup, will be pushing for a spot in the side during the season after excelling for Souths Logan in the under-age competitions. At least half a dozen home games at Canberra Stadium this year will feature a NSW Cup clash as a curtain raiser to the NRL, offering fans double the dose of rugby league. He went on to coach the Australian schoolboys. Luxury Byron Bay home Glenbrook Estate with private rainforest, water slide has $5m price hopes, Titanic Theatre Restaurant site sails onto the market, Who is Bianca Censori? Let's address the obvious omission first: what about big Mal? Below is a list of contracted players for 2023. Arriving on the scene at the tail-end of their golden period, Davico missed the 1994 grand final win, but was their Rookie of the Year the following season and played in six finals series with the club between 1995 and 2003. 35 wins 48 losses. 87 wins 114 losses. Troy Thompson oddly began his first grade career with Villefranche XIII Aveyron, a semi-professional rugby league club based in southern France, after being a Raiders junior and playing in their SG Ball and Jersey Flegg teams. Laurie Daley, Peter Jackson and Glenn Lazarus all made their debut for Canberra in 1987, though only Queensland State of Origin Centre Jackson played a prominent role that year, more so after his centre partner Meninga broke his arm and missed half of the season. 7. Premium subscribers also enjoy interactive puzzles and access to the digital version of our print edition - Today's Paper. Troy Thompson (156) 2001-2010. The Canberra Raiders entered the big time in 1982 and since then have had 367 players pull on the green jersey in first grade. 6. 24 wins 53 losses. Harrison man arrested for alleged scam that saw woman $70k poorer, Liberals urge government to reverse APS Australia Day rule, It was a normal day, until black leaves started to fall, 'We're very well prepared': ACT rural fire boss says, Gas customers to face bill shock despite cost-of-living measures, How a bushfire tragedy reshaped Canberra's suburbs, Terms and Conditions - Digital Subscription, Terms and Conditions - Newspaper Subscription. A classy pivot from the Brisbane competition, Smith had a brief tilt at the Sydney game, firstly with North Sydney in 1980 and 1981, and then with Canberra in the 1982 season, turning out 11 times. 28 tries 1 goal 1 FG. Trindall was a big, no-nonsense forward who made his debut at the age of 20 for the Raiders in 1993, playing five games in a three-year. "Last season was a big step up for me going into development straight out of school and it was just all about learning," he told the club's website. 2 finals 2 losses. The Raiders had used western Sydney club Mounties as a feeder team for NRL first grade, but that partnership of eight years ended in 2020 when Mounties linked . Other, Multicultural Audiences in Australia and NZ 12 tries, 6 finals 2 wins. Glen Buttriss played hooker for the Raiders from 2008 to 2015, including finals series in 2008, 2010 and 2012. 5. Become a member to join in Australia's biggest sporting debate, submit articles, receive updates straight to your inbox and keep up with your favourite teams and authors. Michael Hodgson was a true journeyman, turning out for four NRL clubs, but spending the most time at the Raiders. One of the positions that Brisbane are yet to lock down on a long-term basis is hooker - and that's exactly where Blake Mozer comes into the equation for 2023. This is a pretty handy side (maybe the selectors struggle to see west of Parramatta) and the on-field coaching would be handy. Still only 20 years of age, the Central Coast product played the majority of last season in NSW Cup, producing 23 try assists and 26 linebreak assists in 23 games. After joining the clubs academy system as a 14-year-old, Viliami Fifita has continued to go from strength to strength at Manly and looks poised to make his NRL debut this season. Smith will move into the clubs top 30 roster for the upcoming season and while he is long-odds to dethrone Walker or Luke Keary in the halves at full-strength, he is certainly a player to keep an eye on. Luke Priddis has played a career total of 315 first-grade games but of those, 44 were at the Raiders. Michael Maguire (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images). What a player! With the likes of Viliame Kikau and J'maine Hopgood moving on at the end of 2022, Penrith have some vacancies in their back-row rotation and Riki will be hoping he can help fill the void. Mariota tips the scales at close to 115kg but is extremely mobile for a front-rower, and with the club signing him on for the next two years, a permanent spot in the first grade lineup can't be too far away. On top of that, Ronald Volkman who was at one stage seen as Sam Walkers long-term partner was allowed to walk away from the club and join the Warriors mid-way through 2022. A quick and powerful outside back capable of covering anywhere in the back-five, Karapani has plenty of wraps on him around South Sydney following his arrival from the Warriors as a teenager. de la Cruz was born to a Sri Lankan mother and Filipino father in Innisfail, but was raised and educated in the Northern Territory capital, Darwin. After retirement, Wood spent some time coaching in Queensland, including the Broncos Under-20s in 2010. His younger brother Sione has also signed a development deal and is an outside back with plenty of upside. If you needed an insight into how highly the Roosters rate young playmaker Sandon Smith, you only need to look at the players they have let go in the past 12 months. Haele manipulates the ruck really well. 4 finals 4 losses. Backo said players such as Johnathan Thurston and Greg Inglis continued to be role models for Indigenous people. The man loves his footy. Marata Niukore, Isaiah Papalii, Reed Mahoney, Oregon Kaufusi and Ray Stone have all moved on from the blue and gold, leaving some major holes in the sides forward pack. 58 wins 80 losses. McFadden took up a career in coaching after his playing days finished and has coached the New Zealand Warriors and been an assistant in the English Super League with Catalans and for the New Zealand national team. Credit: sportingnews.com. Kyle ODonnell Access unlimited news content and The Canberra Times app. Backo spent six seasons with the Raiders, while he also played for Leeds and the Brisbane Broncos, along with representing Queensland and Australia. "They are an example for the ones coming through.". Michael Hodgson (98) 2001-2006. The Raiders' top 10 Indigenous players. The 22-year-old has played 25 games of Queensland Cup and has come through the grades at the highly-successful Storm system, but will move to the Dragons in the hopes of securing an NRL spot. 1 final 1 loss. 8. "There have been a sprinkling of forwards at the Raiders, guys like Lui Bon, Sam Backo, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Joel Thompson, but we've had plenty of outstanding backs as well.". While he has technically had a small taste of NRL football as a mid-game concussion replacement, Ata Mariota will be hoping to make more of an impact this year.