The Canberra Raiders entered the big time in 1982 and since then have had 367 players pull on the green jersey in first grade. England never quite able to clinch a first grade starting spot but proving to be a more than capable squad player to call upon when needed. 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. Troy Thompson (156) 2001-2010. Fringe first graders, extended squad members and under-21s players will play in the NSW Cup side, while it gives coach Ricky Stuart another option when bringing players back from injury. 23 tries. Glenn Ryan 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. 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. The 20-year-old has drawn comparisons to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and is already signed to the Rabbitohs' top 30 roster for the next two seasons. The 21-year-old hooker featured prominently for Newcastle in 2022 in the NSW Cup competition and is signed as a development player for the 2023 campaign. It gave me a lot of confidence coming out of that knowing that Id lasted out there playing with those boys, so it definitely gave me a lot of confidence moving forward. The club's Flegg coach Peter Marrapodi will take charge of the team. The Canberra Raiders entered the big time in 1982 and since then have had 367 players pull on the green jersey in first grade. The Kepus are both signed to the club's top 30 roster until the end of 2024, and it would be no surprise to see at least one of them debut this season. A talented multi-sport athlete, Kobe Rugless joined the Knights last year after coming through the Roosters system as a teenager. 81 wins 35 losses. You have skipped the navigation, tab for page content. 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. Splitting them at No.3 is Sam Backo - one of the greatest Indigenous players of all time. Smith will move into the club's 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. 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. While he is only on a train-and-trial deal as it stands, Riki understands the Penrith culture and the club know exactly what to expect from him after starring in their reserve grade outfit. It was not due to physique, with the 6 foot 7 inch prop an intimidating presence on the field across a decade at the Raiders. Dane Tilse (201) 2006-2015. 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. Four Canberra Raiders juniors have been sacked by the club after a violent incident last weekend during which at least one player in question was glassed. The Canberra Raiders will commence pre-season training this week, with several of the clubs Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup players having the opportunity to spend some time with the NRL squad pre-Christmas. 64 wins 82 losses. Alex Corvo 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. So quick, but so injury-prone, David Milne was a talented fullback who played seven seasons for the Raiders from age 17, but only played ten games in a season twice. 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. 14 tries. Your digital subscription includes access to content from all our websites in your region. 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. 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. Club legends to play over 200 games for the Green Machine include Laurie Daley, Simon Woolford, Jarrod Croker, Ruben Wiki, Jason Croker and Ricky Stuart. 13. featured alongside some of Australias most prominent sports journalists. He's an exciting prospect because he can get over the line too.. South American He was a utility player, but spent enough time at five-eighth (29 matches) to take this spot. These two players wouldnt have been allowed to leave a successful Roosters system without good cause, and that is why Smith is such a hot prospect heading into next season. E.g. - CulturalPulse, Sallu Kamara, Australias up-and-coming Sierra Leonean footballer, Anti-Racism Strategy empowering communities to take action. 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. The Samoan-born prop excelled in NSW Cup in 2022, finishing the year with 25 offloads and over 120 run metres per game for the Raiders. 8. Hopefully I get a few more games playing Cup next year.. "I was playing for all my mob," Backo explains. 44 wins 46 losses. The teenage playmaker was a standout in the U19s State of Origin last year, and has recently inked an extension with the Storm that will keep him on deck long-term. Another player who featured on this same list last season, Riley Price has had a disrupted start to his career but had a breakout 2022 campaign in QLD Cup for the Blackhawks. A brother's bond: The gift that kept Harley's NRL dream alive. 5 finals 2 wins. 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. To view matches in which a player appeared, click the List button. A prop forward who played only 14 games in the NRL, all with the Raiders during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. 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. Former Raiders captain Mal Meninga is of South Sea Islander descent and doesn't identify himself as having Indigenous heritage. "This year, I've had that experience and I definitely want to take that next step forward and push for a spot in the top 17..that's probably my biggest goal for next year. Not since Brett and Josh Morris has there been this much excitement about twin brothers in the NRL. "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.". The door is now open for Alamoti to move into the top side following Aaron Schoupp's departure, and he is likely to gain a starting spot for Round 1 at this stage. Terry Martin played six seasons with the Raiders, including appearing in their 2002 and 2003 finals campaigns. Signed on as one of the expansion club's brightest prospects, Katoa will leave a highly-successful Penrith system and has all the makings of an NRL superstar. 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. 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. A shoulder reconstruction ruined his 2005 season and he returned as a front rower, but was not able to secure another contract. Fifita is a damaging ball runner with speed and agility to match, making him a perfect fit for the prop position in the modern-day game. India His younger brother Sione has also signed a development deal and is an outside back with plenty of upside. Pezet has received high praise from the likes of Andrew Johns, and while he may have to bide his time before earning a permanent spot in the top grade, there is a strong chance we see him pop up during 2023. The 20-year-old has drawn comparisons to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and is already signed to the Rabbitohs top 30 roster for the next two seasons. He played over 20 matches in seven of his seasons at the Raiders and played in four finals series between 2006 and 2012. Access unlimited news content and The Canberra Times app. n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; European 6. He is currently an assistant to Ricky Stuart at GIO Stadium. Weaver is locked in a battle with Toby Sexton and Tanah Boyd for a spot in the halves at the club. 8 tries. "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. Europe More recently, Hodgson has become a member of the NRL match review committee, getting to watch footy games for a living. "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. 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. Mozer is a tough and crafty dummy-half who represented the Maroons in the U19s State of Origin last year, and the Broncos clearly have faith in his ability after extending his stay at Red Hill until the end of 2025. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney. 75 wins 80 losses. The 19-year-old has recently been upgraded to the Titans' top 30 squad for the upcoming season, following a strong 2022 that saw him make his QLD Cup debut and represent the Maroons U19s side. Since retirement, he has carved out a successful career as a club trainer. Grant became the Raiders first captain in 1982 and led the side through their first steps in the competition. . Credit: sportingnews.com. If youre after great odds on every NRL match try signing up for PlayUp. fbq('track', 'PageView'); He also played seven games for Queensland, the last of which was the first-ever Origin game in 1980. But some have their doubts. 2 finals 2 losses. He is quite explosive out of dummy half. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. Am 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. 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. Other, Multicultural Audiences in Australia and NZ Lock: Shaun Fensom (139) 2009-2016. Lincoln Withers spent five seasons at the Raiders covering post-Stuart halfback and post-Walters hooking duties, a truly thankless task. There is some depth here, with Canberra being the first team in this series to leave out a player that played over 100 first grade games for the club. His younger brother Sione has also signed a development deal and is an outside back with plenty of upside. 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. With the likes of Martin Taupau and Andrew Davey moving on and plenty of competition in the forwards at Manly, there is no doubt that Fifita is a player to watch under new coach Anthony Seibold. 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. 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. Mataele is signed to a development deal for 2023, but there is no reason why he couldn't receive an upgrade or force his way into the top 17 at some stage during the year. 1994 grand final player Brett Hetherington was a shoo-in for this spot, only for me to find out he represented Australia in the 1997 Super League World Nines. Dane Tilse has the record of the most games for the Raiders without playing rep footy and is one of only around a . He sees the game really well. After leaving the Raiders, he played for the Mounties in the NSW Cup (losing the 2016 premiership by a point to the Illawarra Cutters), for the Cootamundra Bulldogs back in his home town, with the Belconnen United Sharks with Shaun Fensom and for the Currumbin Eagles on the Gold Coast in 2021. We care about the protection of your data. We want to see it! 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