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. The 21-year-old played 16 games in reserve grade, averaging 93 run metres and 26 tackles per game, impressing the Cowboys officials and earning a spot in their 21-man squad on multiple occasions. 12 tries, 6 finals 2 wins. 9. 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. While in England in 2012, Purtell suffered a heart attack and was unable to play for a year. Africa 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. 9 tries. 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. 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. 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. Bellamy played for a decade for the Raiders from their entry into the NSWRL before becoming possibly the greatest coach in rugby league history. Pacific 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. 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. 13. 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. Read our Privacy Policy. 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. 31 wins 33 losses. His daughter Millie is a dual international, the Brisbane Bronco representing Australia as a prop in league and a flanker in union as well as appearing on the TV reality show SAS Australia. 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. Peter Benson 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. And that's exactly where second-rower Toni Mataele could fit into the equation for Parramatta. Kris Tassell This portal contain information that can help you keep track of ongoing events all around the world. From 1999, Death played for the Auckland Warriors, winning the clubs Player of the Year award in his first season. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney. He was a utility player, but spent enough time at five-eighth (29 matches) to take this spot. "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. Fensom himself had a match to forget, suffering a nasty broken leg just a few minutes into the match. Oops! The Dragons will be looking for a new five-eighth to . Below is a list of contracted players for 2023. Most Raiders fans resent the man, but Blake Ferguson deserves his spot in the top 10. "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. 8. Corvos only taste of first grade came in 1991, when he was selected for five games for the Milk. 7. 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. Not since Brett and Josh Morris has there been this much excitement about twin brothers in the NRL. 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. Canberra Raiders Canterbury Bulldogs Cronulla Sharks Gold Coast Titans Manly Sea Eagles Melbourne Storm New Zealand Warriors Newcastle Knights North QLD Cowboys North Sydney Bears Parramatta Eels Penrith Panthers South Sydney Rabbitohs St George Dragons Sydney Roosters Wests Tigers RUMOURS MEMES PODCASTS Super League MORE STUFF 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. 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. Your digital subscription includes access to content from all our websites in your region. After leaving Canberra, Hodgson spent a further five seasons firstly as a founding player for the new Gold Coast Titans, and then for Canterbury before retiring, having played over 200 career NRL games. 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. . Weaver is locked in a battle with Toby Sexton and Tanah Boyd for a spot in the halves at the club. Splitting them at No.3 is Sam Backo - one of the greatest Indigenous players of all time. 8 finals 2 wins. Other, Multicultural Audiences in Australia and NZ He played nearly 250 games for Castleford and 14 games for England in a 15-year career and squeezed in just two games for the Raiders in the 1985 season. 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. Luke Davico was a great clubman for a decade across the 1990s and 2000s. Matthew Wood (74) 1989-1996. 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. The Canberra Raiders entered the big time in 1982 and since then have had 367 players pull on the green jersey in first grade. His younger brother Sione has also signed a development deal and is an outside back with plenty of upside. 17. "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. All Time First Grade Player List | Raiders All Time First Grade Player List / Canberra Raiders Player Numbers: 1982-2022 Please note, bold denotes still at club. 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. Since retirement, he has carved out a successful career as a club trainer. Please note this list is subject to change and only includes players who have current NRL contracts or ongoing training deals with the club in 2023. He also played seven games for Queensland, the last of which was the first-ever Origin game in 1980. 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. 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. 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. 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. "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.". "We also look forward to scheduling as many of their matches as we can with our NRL team to enhance the match day experience.". 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. 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. Danny Lomax This is a pretty handy side (maybe the selectors struggle to see west of Parramatta) and the on-field coaching would be handy. Karapani was a constant fixture in NSW Cup for the Bunnies in 2022 and with a lack of depth in the club's backline, the young gun looks poised to make the jump to the NRL this year. 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. - CulturalPulse, Sallu Kamara, Australias up-and-coming Sierra Leonean footballer, Anti-Racism Strategy empowering communities to take action. But some have their doubts. He was one of those players who felt on the verge of breaking through but never quite did, although he played finals with Canberra and Parramatta. (Canberra Raiders) Speaking of experience, and it doesn't get much better than Canberra Raiders' enforcer Josh Papalii. 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. "We saw in our last competition game against the Sharks last season the wonderful depth we have in the squad and it will be fantastic to see them get more match time at a high level in 2021.". Read our Privacy Policy. 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. 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. Grant tragically died of a heart attack at just 38 and is a member of the clubs Hall of Fame. 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. 102 wins 73 losses. He played just two games that year before moving on, playing the bulk of his career in England, including four Test matches for Wales. 'Im not concerned': Wallabies' NRL wish list revealed but V'landys says stars won't switch for rugby's 'TikTok' tedium, Round 1 Predicted Teams - Dragons: Sullivan hamstrung, Amone facing court in off-season of turmoil, pick your best players and compete in daily NRL fantasy competitions, great odds on every NRL match try signing up for PlayUp. 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. Price the son of former Bulldogs and QLD Origin hardman Steve is a well-spoken and level-headed young forward with plenty of skill, tenacity and work ethic, which are all qualities that Todd Payten desires. Backo spent six seasons with the Raiders, while he also played for Leeds and the Brisbane Broncos, along with representing Queensland and Australia. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. His son Morgan has played nearly 50 NRL matches for the Gold Coast and Manly. He then returned to his home in Griffith as captain-coach of the Black and Whites. Michael Blake 14. That well-known and memorable representative fixture rules him out of this team. Weaver is locked in a battle with Toby Sexton and Tanah Boyd for a spot in the halves at the club. 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. 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. 75 wins 80 losses. Where not all appearances are available, figure is displayed in a light grey colour. James Buckley Sports Editor 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. Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work 7 tries. We want to see it! 81 wins 35 losses. More recently, Hodgson has become a member of the NRL match review committee, getting to watch footy games for a living. Who makes the cut as the best of the best in the number one jersey? 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. His younger brother Sione has also signed a development deal and is an outside back with plenty of upside. South American 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. 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. His final season in the big time was with the Raiders in 1988, when he played just two games. Lincoln Withers spent five seasons at the Raiders covering post-Stuart halfback and post-Walters hooking duties, a truly thankless task. Following the retirement of Andrew McCullough in the off-season and uncertainty of Jacob Liddle as the long-term hooker, Finau has plenty to prove and is a player that St George Illawarra fans should be excited about. Some absolute champions of the game have donned the lime green jersey since the Raiders came into the NSWRL competition in 1982. Here is all you need to know about the Canberra Raiders ahead of the 2022 Telstra Premiership season. Ngatikaura will have to bide his time behind Api Koroisau for the next few years, but could potentially nab a spot on the bench during the 2023 campaign. Meninga himself doesn't call himself Indigenous, so who are we to argue. South East Asia Access unlimited news content and The Canberra Times app. "They are an example for the ones coming through.". Ryan had eight years with Manly before heading south in 1991, playing just five games for the Raiders in his final season. 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 club's Player of the Year award in that competition. 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); RLW Player of the Year (1995); 21 Tests for Australia; 23 matches for NSW. After joining the club's 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. 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. If youre not familiar with Josiah Karapani yet, something tells us you will be by the time the 2023 season is done and dusted. After contract disputes, he headed to Penrith in 2007 where he established himself over the next nine seasons. 33 wins 24 losses. 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 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 . 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. 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. "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. 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. 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. 64 wins 82 losses. This was reflected in the Raiders' performance, and Starling's performance. In its first year 5 teams competed: East Canberra, Braidwood, Yass, Crookwell and Goulburn Exchange. 2 finals 2 losses. The Canberra Raiders have confirmed a list of six players set to depart the club at the end of the 2022 season. 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. 42 wins 33 losses. 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. With an upgrade to the clubs 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. 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. 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. China And thats exactly where second-rower Toni Mataele could fit into the equation for Parramatta. A shoulder reconstruction ruined his 2005 season and he returned as a front rower, but was not able to secure another contract. 6. 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. Appeared on this list last year and while his debut didn't come in 2022, there is the belief that Paul Alamoti is ready to explode onto the scene in 2023. 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. Nathan Smith 3 finals 1 win. NZ Meninga said just as important as the stars were the players who were there in the club's infancy. Rugless was a junior boxing standout, winning national titles as a teenager and touring the globe with the Australian team, before making the decision to stick with the football. 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. Time at five-eighth ( 29 matches ) to take action the players who there! Best in the club at the Raiders covering post-Stuart halfback and post-Walters hooking duties a! In England in 2012, Purtell suffered a heart attack at just 38 and is an back... Match to forget, suffering a nasty broken leg just a few minutes into the equation for Parramatta bellamy for. Player of the canberra raiders first grade players Hall of Fame plenty of upside to secure another contract a new five-eighth to,... 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