Here is all you need to know about the Canberra Raiders ahead of the 2022 Telstra Premiership season. Canberra will field a standalone team in this year's NSW Cup competition for the first time in 14 years, solving the problem of how to inject game time into their fringe squad members who were consigned to training scrimmages for the bulk of 2020. "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. South East Asian 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. Canberra Raiders - Ata Mariota . Hopefully I get a few more games playing Cup next year.". Kevin Beardmore 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. 8. At the under-20s level he played halfback for Melbourne, too. 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. "The NSW Cup allows our squad to best prepare for NRL football and will allow the coaching staff to see who is performing well enough to come into the first-grade team if required," Stuart said. 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. Hes 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. The Milk has returned, and so have the Raiders' reggies. Steve Trindall Wood was inducted into the Canberra Raiders Hall of Fame in 2020. The Canberra Raiders will field its own reserve grade side in the NSW Cup competition this season for the first time since 2007 in what will help bolster rugby league ranks in the region. James Buckley Sports Editor India 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. David Grant: 76 matches for Canberra; Inaugural captain. The door is now open for Alamoti to move into the top side following Aaron Schoupps departure, and he is likely to gain a starting spot for Round 1 at this stage. Players that debuted in the same game are added alphabetically. European The NRL season is rapidly approaching, with plenty of talented young guns pushing to make the jump to first grade in 2023. 23 tries. {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? 81 wins 35 losses. Michael Hodgson was a true journeyman, turning out for four NRL clubs, but spending the most time at the Raiders. 43 wins 14 losses. 9 tries. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on. 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. 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. Weaver is locked in a battle with Toby Sexton and Tanah Boyd for a spot in the halves at the club. We care about the protection of your data. 12. 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. His younger brother Sione has also signed a development deal and is an outside back with plenty of upside. Grant tragically died of a heart attack at just 38 and is a member of the clubs Hall of Fame. Middle East In its first year 5 teams competed: East Canberra, Braidwood, Yass, Crookwell and Goulburn Exchange. Who makes the cut as the best of the best in the number one jersey? South Asia The battle for the Gold Coast No.7 jersey is heating up as the season approaches, and the wild card for the spot alongside Kieran Foran is talented youngster Thomas Weaver. Ricky Stuart has proven in recent years that he isn't 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. 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. One of those young men is versatile outside back Kayal Iro, who played his sole first grade game in Round 24 last year against the Bulldogs, but will be looking for a much bigger role heading into 2023. 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. "They are an example for the ones coming through.". 5 finals 5 losses. The first four players on the list pick themselves. 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. A little bit older and a little bit more experienced than many players on this list, Preston Riki has an NRL debut within his grasp heading into 2023. 9 tries. Their inclusion in the NSW Cup expands that competition to 11 teams for 2021. 1 final 1 loss. Let's address the obvious omission first: what about big Mal? After contract disputes, he headed to Penrith in 2007 where he established himself over the next nine seasons. 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. 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. 33 wins 24 losses. England 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. Blake Ferguson: 60 matches (36 tries); 1 match for NSW. His younger brother Sione has also signed a development deal and is an outside back with plenty of upside. Kyle ODonnell Fensom joined the Broncos in 2019 but only made two appearances that year before retiring from top-level footy and turning out for the Belconnen United Sharks for a couple of years. 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. 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 . 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. 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. 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. Luke Davico (176) 1994-2004. English 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. Signed on as one of the expansion clubs brightest prospects, Katoa will leave a highly-successful Penrith system and has all the makings of an NRL superstar. Your digital subscription includes access to content from all our websites in your region. "It gave me a lot of confidence coming out of that knowing that I'd lasted out there playing with those boys, so it definitely gave me a lot of confidence moving forward. pick your best players and compete in daily NRL fantasy competitions, great odds on every NRL match try signing up for PlayUp, World Club Challenge returns alongside All-Stars and Charity Shield: 2023 NRL pre-season fixtures, 25 in 25: Ranking all the grand finals of the NRL era - cliffhangers, controversy and classics. That was by far his most successful year, playing 26 games and topping the clubs try-scoring list. 47 wins 72 losses. Lincoln Withers spent five seasons at the Raiders covering post-Stuart halfback and post-Walters hooking duties, a truly thankless task. Before embarking on a successful coaching career, Maguire played 18 first-grade games ove seven years. 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. 15. More recently, Hodgson has become a member of the NRL match review committee, getting to watch footy games for a living. 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Leaving Canberra in 1996, he went on to play over 250 games at the top level in both Australia and England. 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 . South East Asia He's an exciting prospect because he can get over the line too.. 2021 squad: caleb aekins (2021), adam cook (2021), jarrod croker (2024), matt frawley (2021), emre guler (2023), corey harawira-naera (2022), siliva havili (2021), josh hodgson (2022), albert hopoate (2021), (corey horsburgh (2022), ryan james (2022), sebastian kris (2024), dunamis lui (2021), charnze nicoll-klokstad (2023), josh papalii (2024, He established himself over the next nine seasons topping the clubs try-scoring list the. Battle with Toby Sexton and Tanah Boyd for a living coming through. ``, Crookwell and Goulburn Exchange of... Blake Ferguson: 60 matches ( 36 tries ) ; 1 match for NSW ; n=f.fbq=function )! 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