Canberra Raiders’ canny recruitment has propelled them into premiership contenders
In the early ‘90s they stole Queensland’s best talent; after that they discovered idols in the Pacific Islands. Now Canberra are chasing an NRL premiership thanks to some old-school daring with English gems, writes MATTY JOHNS.
If you look at the most successful eras of the Canberra Raiders, one of the crucial elements was their ability to think outside the square where recruiting players was concerned.
Entering the competition in 1982, I remember those early years of the Raiders, chuckling with mates in the schoolyard about some of the scorelines they’d be on the end of.
In their first premiership match, losing 37-7 to South Sydney, in the same season beaten 54-3, 44-5, 35-0, 55-15, 61-20 and even 45-0 to fellow strugglers and debutants Illawarra.
These were the days of the three point try. Fair to say it was hard going.
Year by year the team improved slightly, but it wasn’t until coach Don Furner Sr decided to change tack and sign a circuit breaker. The kind of player who could alter things immediately and attract other quality signings.
So in 1986 they sign Mal Meninga from Souths Brisbane.
The following year they make the grand final. In 1989 they win their first competition and dominate the early ‘90s.
The signing of the great Maroons centre allowed the Raiders to tap into the Queensland talent in those pre-Broncos days.
Along with Big Mal they landed Gary Belcher, Gary Coyne, Steve Walters, Kevin Walters and Peter Jackson, all players of immense quality. They also signed a young coach named Wayne Bennett.
These Queenslanders brought with them great attacking talent.
The Raiders built an identity around brave, attacking football. In a defence-dominated era, Canberra bucked the trend, changed the game and won titles.
With the Brisbane Broncos coming into the competition in 1988, it became much more difficult to entice top Queensland players. So in the early ‘90s Raiders coach Tim Sheens rebuilt his squad after the success of 1989-90 by looking to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
Sheens signed promising Kiwi winger Sean Hoppe, solidly built young centre from Auckland Ruben Wiki, unknown Fijian winger Noa Nadruku and rugged young forwards John Lomax and Quentin Pongia.
All five would turn out to be incredible signings. Hoppe and Nadruku brilliant finishers, Noa in particular a phenomenon.
While Wiki, Lomax and Pongia brought a rare toughness.
Lomax and the late Quentin Pongia were terrifying. Our Newcastle pack was big and tough, but the Kiwi pair beat them up every time.
Wiki developed into one of the game’s great leaders.
The Raiders won the competition in 1994 but they should have won more.
They were far and away the best team I ever opposed and dreaded playing against.
Expansion has had a significant impact on Canberra.
The arrival of the Cowboys and Crushers in 1995 monopolised the Queensland talent to the Queensland teams.
The arrival of the Auckland Warriors meant the best Kiwi talent stayed in New Zealand.
And then of course there’s the Melbourne Storm.
A team who entered in 1998, and have beaten even the Broncos, Cowboys and Warriors to the punch as far as recruiting the best talent in Queensland, New Zealand and the Pacific.
LISTEN! Matty’s back with Kenty and Finchy and they run the rule over the Raiders premiership chances, try to understand what’s happening at the Sharks and look back at the ‘89 grand final and ask what would have happened in the Tigers won.
Since the mid-’90s there’s been periods of promise but a lot of lean times for the Green Machine.
If clever recruitment has been so crucial to the Raiders’ success, it was difficult to see where they would turn.
In this era of relentless recruitment and player managers on every street corner, it felt like there were no more hidden gems.
Wrong.
While the Raiders built early success on the signing of a giant centre from Brisbane, it’s been the acquisition of a clever little hooker from the northern English city of Hull which looks almost as crucial.
Josh Hodgson’s arrival in 2015 didn’t make many headlines, but it’s had an enormous influence. His success has encouraged the Raiders to go back to the well and they are reaping the rewards.
Englishmen Josh Hodgson, Elliot Whitehead, Ryan Sutton and John Bateman are at the core of the Raiders’ revival.
While in the ‘80s the Queenslanders brought attacking talent, the Kiwis’ toughness in the 90s, these English players have brought old-school skill and instinct, traits which have been coached out of many of our youngsters.
These English players have vision and are brave enough to play to what they see.
Bateman refuses to be nailed down to one side of the field. If there’s nothing on down his edge, he’ll rip around the ruck and challenge the middle of the field.
Ricky Stuart’s Raiders are different. They aren’t trying to play a watered-down version of the Melbourne Storm’s style, nor are they mimicking the Roosters.
They play Canberra Raiders football.
A month ago the Raiders went from being classed as overachievers, to people starting to consider them dark horses for the title.
Maybe that’s still not giving them enough credit.
Originally published as Canberra Raiders’ canny recruitment has propelled them into premiership contenders
Buzz’s top-50 NRL players for 2024: Four millionaires miss the cut
Phil Rothfield’s Top 50 NRL players for 2024 is littered with the game’s highest paid players, but four million-dollar men from the Rich 100 failed to make the cut. See the full Top 50 and have your say.
What Seibold’s revival says about ‘cursed’ Broncos coaching role
“It’s you not us’’ was the cry when Anthony Seibold was effectively shown the door in Brisbane. Maybe, ROBERT CRADDOCK writes, it was the Broncos all along.