Nathan Smith 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. Chinese 3 finals 1 win. But Canberras fortunes waned and Fensom went from young star to veteran without anyone noticing. David Grant: 76 matches for Canberra; Inaugural captain. A talented multi-sport athlete, Kobe Rugless joined the Knights last year after coming through the Roosters system as a teenager. One of those quality rookies is Rua Ngatikaura, who is already signed to the top 30 at the Tigers and has huge wraps on him. Brian Battese 87 wins 114 losses. The Raiders pre-season will see players return over the first three weeks based on their experience level as per NRL Guidelines. Raiders re-sign Havili. 16 tries. Paul Martin rounds out the 10 based on his three grand final appearances. Five-eighth: Craig Bellamy (150) 1982-1992. The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Prolific try-scorer Ken Nagas was one of those, while modern-day stars Jack Wighton and Edrick Lee have bright futures in front of them. Grant became the Raiders first captain in 1982 and led the side through their first steps in the competition. Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work He also represented both New Zealand and New Zealand Maoris. The 20-year-old local junior had a short stint at Newcastle, before returning to the Eels and recently re-signing until the end of 2025. South Korea A tough second-rower who more than earned the nickname Bruiser, Battese began his career in the Brisbane competition before making his way to Wests in 1983. In, 2011 Fensom made 75 tackles in a single match to equal the NRL record held by Nathan Hindmarsh. As for previous articles in this series, I will attempt to put together a quality team for each NRL club made up solely of players since 1980 who never went beyond club level. If every NRL team could steal one player: St George Illawarra Dragons . Credit: sportingnews.com. 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. 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. Please gamble responsibly. Death also played in the clubs 1995 finals campaign. The teenager joins the club's 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. 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. Valingi and Otukinekina Kepu are two giant front-rowers who are set to push for a spot in the Warriors side this season, as new head coach Andrew Webster looks to rebuild the club. 14 tries. 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. Dane Tilse (201) - 2006-2015. He's gone down in Canberra Raiders' history as the first try-scorer in the NRL, Gerry de la Cruz is one player sure to be remembered by multicultural Australian rugby players for years to come. After retiring, Davico has been a long-term owner of Goldbergs Coffee House in Newcastle. This year, Ive had that experience and I definitely want to take that next step forward and push for a spot in the top 17..thats probably my biggest goal for next year. Leaving Canberra in 1996, he went on to play over 250 games at the top level in both Australia and England. Sam Backo: 110 matches; Dally M Prop of the Year (1988); 6 Tests for Australia; 7 matches for Queensland. 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); The first four players on the list pick themselves. He is currently an assistant to Ricky Stuart at GIO Stadium. Please gamble responsibly. While he is unlikely to usurp Jayden Brailey for the starting No.9 position any time soon, Rugless is certainly in the frame to act as his deputy and could make his NRL debut if injury strikes during the lengthy season. After leaving the Raiders, Martin played for the Celtic Crusaders for two seasons in England. The Canberra Raiders entered the big time in 1982 and since then have had 367 players pull on the green jersey in first grade. 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 brothers have already gained experience in the QLD Cup competition for Redcliffe and are long-term prospects that Warriors officials are extremely invested in. "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. Access unlimited news content and The Canberra Times app. Tilse started with Newcastle in 2004 but moved to the Raiders two years later after being sacked by the Knights for unbecoming conduct. 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. With few people of mixed cultural background playing in the NRL at the time, de la Cruz was often confused as being of Chinese-Aborigine origin, but it was his skill as a halfback in the Raiders premiere match against the South Sydney Rabbitohs that really struck a chord in the game and with fans. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. A handy player who surprisingly only played 50 top-level games in his five-year career in Australia, Benson came to the Raiders in 1994 and was selected twice, before moving mid-season to the Gold Coast. Hooker: Glen Buttriss (119) 2008-2015. Meninga said this weekend's Indigenous Round played an important role in highlighting the achievements of Indigenous players and the role they have in the game. Africa Tom Learoyd-Lahrs: 109 matches; 4 Tests for Australia; 4 matches for NSW. Kyle ODonnell 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. Luke Davico was a great clubman for a decade across the 1990s and 2000s. From 1999, Death played for the Auckland Warriors, winning the clubs Player of the Year award in his first season. 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 Canberras middle-forward rotation that the 21-year-old will undoubtedly be striving for. But some have their doubts. Terry Fahey may have been in the twilight of his career when he joined the Raiders, but he had a remarkable try-scoring strike rate in a struggling side. Japanese South Asian 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. Luke Priddis has played a career total of 315 first-grade games but of those, 44 were at the Raiders. "After careful evaluation and feedback from our coaches and pathways staff, we've decided that fielding a team on our own in the NSW Cup is best for the club's football program," Raiders chief Don Furner said. Canberra Raiders - Ata Mariota 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. Most Raiders fans resent the man, but Blake Ferguson deserves his spot in the top 10. Pacific 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. 22 tries. "Indigenous participation has been high in our sport since day dot and the game does tremendously well in bridging the gap in all of the programs they have got with the All-Stars game and what they do from a welfare point of view. 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. Keep an eye on Paul Alamoti in 2023 #NSWCup #KOECup pic.twitter.com/aJSg5mKhjR. But what about the players who came and went from the club in no time flat? Player statistics are updated at the end of each season. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership since 1982. After leaving the Raiders, Boyle moved to England to play for Bradford, winning a premiership with the club in 1999 and a Challenge Cup title in 2000. Haele manipulates the ruck really well. Multicultural Audiences in Australia and NZ 11. Alamoti is definitely one player to keep an eye on heading into the season and could be a contender for Dally M Rookie of the Year honours. 7. He's an exciting prospect because he can get over the line too.. Josh Gibcus hamstring injury to sideline him from start of Richmond Tigers season, Biggest vulnerability for eight remaining NFL playoff teams; plus, updated Super Bowl LVII probabilities. Jason Croker holds the record for the most first grade games and the most tries for the Canberra Raiders. 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. Surplus under-21s players who don't fit into the Raiders' NSW Cup side this year will return to play locally for allocated clubs in the Canberra Raiders Cup competition. Troy Thompson (156) 2001-2010. PS: A couple of sources say Grant toured New Zealand with a combined Sydney side in 1981 but I can find no actual records, so he is in. James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. 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. 30 tries. European At the under-20s level he played halfback for Melbourne, too. He played six matches before injury brought his career to an end. Canberra Raiders respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. Per NRL Guidelines anyone can contribute to the Eels and recently re-signing the! 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