The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership since 1982. Over this period the club has won three premierships out of six Grand Finals, the last one played being the 2019 NRL Grand Final, resulting in a 14-8 controversial loss to the Sydney Roosters. Canberra currently have the second longest active premiership drought in the NRL totalling 30 years. The Raiders' current home ground is Canberra Stadium in Bruce. Previously, the team played home matches at Seiffert Oval in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, with the move to the Canberra Stadium in Bruce taking place in 1990. The official symbol for the Canberra Raiders is the Viking. The Viking, also a mascot at Raiders' games, is known as Victor the Viking.
Malcolm Norman Meninga is an Australian professional rugby league coach and a former professional rugby league footballer. Meninga is widely regarded as one of the finest players in the game's history. He enjoyed a long career in both Australia and England, playing mainly as a goal-kicking centre. After retiring, Meninga has enjoyed success as a coach, and is currently the head coach of Australian national team.
Laurie William Daley AM, also known by the nicknames of "Lozza" and "Loz", is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and a former player who played as a centre and five-eighth in the late 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.
Brett Mullins is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, and early 2000s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative back, he played his club football for Australian clubs the Canberra Raiders and Sydney Roosters, and for English club, the Leeds Rhinos. He was described as "one of the most exciting attacking weapons in rugby league."
The 1994 Kangaroo Tour was the 18th and last Kangaroo Tour played in the conventional format, where the Australia national rugby league team played a number of matches against British and French clubs or provincial outfits, in additions to the Test matches. The outbreak of the Super League war in early 1995 meant that the next Kangaroo tour, set for 1998, never eventuated; although shortened, test only tours were staged in 2001 and 2003.
The 1994 NSWRL season was the eighty-seventh season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Sixteen clubs, including 14 from within the borders of New South Wales plus two from Queensland, competed for the J J Giltinan Shield during the season, which culminated in a grand final match for the Winfield Cup trophy between the Canberra Raiders and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
The 1987 NSWRL season was the 80th season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Thirteen clubs competed for the New South Wales Rugby League premiership's J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the season, which culminated in the grand final between the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the Canberra Raiders who were the first club ever from outside Sydney to appear in a premiership decider. This season, NSWRL teams also competed for the 1987 National Panasonic Cup.
The Mal Meninga Medal is the name of the award that goes to the Canberra Raiders' Player of the Year. The award was named after former Raiders captain and coach, Mal Meninga and was first awarded in 2008. Before this there was no name for the award but was still awarded. The medal is awarded to the player that received the most votes during the season, players after each match vote for the best player in the team for the match with the player with the most votes getting 3 points, the next best gets 2, and third gets 1. If the votes are tied at the end of the season the medal is awarded to both players, this has happened only four times, 2005, 2009, 2016 and 2020.
Jarrod Keith Croker is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a centre and captained the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League.
The History of the Canberra Raiders Rugby League Football Club began with their establishment in 1982. Along with the Illawarra Steelers, they became the first clubs from outside the Sydney area in over half a century to compete in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership. The Raiders have competed in every season of top-level rugby league in Australia since then and have won a total of three premierships: 1989, 1990 and 1994.
Joseph Leilua is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays centre for the Dapto Canaries in the Illawarra Cup.
Josh Papali'i is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League (NRL). He has played for both Australia and Samoa at international level.
Jack Wighton is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League (NRL). Wighton has spent most of his club career as a five-eighth and has played centre at the interstate and international level.
David Boyle is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Canberra Raiders in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition and for the Bradford Bulls in the Super League. Boyle played in the backs, chiefly at centre. He is the father of Morgan Boyle and Millie Boyle.
The 2016 Canberra Raiders season is the 35th in the club's history. Coached by Ricky Stuart and captained by Jarrod Croker, the Raiders are currently competing in the NRL's 2016 Telstra Premiership. They also competed in the 2016 NRL Auckland Nines pre-season tournament.
The 2013 Canberra Raiders season was the 32nd in the history of the Canberra Raiders. Coached by David Furner and then Andrew Dunemann, and captained by Terry Campese, the club competed in the National Rugby League's 2013 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season 13th and thus failing to make the finals.
Chris O'Sullivan is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s, and coached in the 1990s. O'Sullivan played for the Canberra Raiders. O'Sullivan's position of choice was five-eighth.
The 2017 Canberra Raiders season was the 36th in the club's history. Coached by Ricky Stuart and captained by Jarrod Croker, the Raiders competed in the NRL's 2017 Telstra Premiership. They also competed in the 2017 NRL Auckland Nines pre-season tournament.
