Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Maurie Raper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Revesby, New South Wales, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Five-eighth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Relatives | Ron Raper (brother) Johnny Raper (brother) Gerard Raper (brother) Peter Raper (brother) Aaron Raper (nephew) Stuart Raper (nephew) |
Maurie Raper is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a five-eighth in the 1960s and 1970s for Penrith and Cronulla-Sutherland in the NSWRL premiership. Raper was an inaugural player for Penrith and played in the club's first ever game.
Raper was born into a rugby league family with his older brother Johnny Raper going on to become an immortal of the game and his nephews Aaron Raper and Stuart Raper going on to forge careers with numerous clubs. Raper played his junior rugby league for Canterbury and Western Suburbs before joining newly admitted club Penrith in 1967.
Raper played in Penrith's first ever game as a club against Canterbury which ended in a 15–12 defeat. Penrith went on to finish second last in their inaugural season avoiding the wooden spoon which was awarded to fellow new side Cronulla. Raper went on to play with Penrith for a further 3 seasons with the club struggling towards the bottom of the ladder. At the end of 1970, Raper left Penrith to join Cronulla for the 1971 season. Raper spent 4 years at Cronulla but missed out on the entire 1973 season due to injury. That year, Cronulla qualified for their first ever grand final which ended in a 10–7 defeat against Manly.
After leaving Cronulla at the end of 1974, Raper went to play in the local Wollongong competition for a few years before retiring. [2] [3] [4]
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. The Cronulla Sharks compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league competition. The Sharks, as they are commonly known, were admitted to the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, predecessor of the Australian Rugby League and the current National Rugby League competition, in January 1967. The club competed in every premiership season since then and, during the Super League war, joined the rebel competition before continuing on in the re-united NRL Premiership. The Sharks have been in competition for 56 years, appearing in four grand finals, winning their first premiership in 2016 after defeating the Melbourne Storm at Stadium Australia.
John William Raper was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach. Nicknamed "Chook", he was a lock-forward who earned a then-record of 33 Test caps in the Australia national team between 1959 and 1968. He also played six World Cup games between 1960 and 1968. Raper captained Australia on eight occasions from 1967 to 68 and played in eight consecutive NSWRFL first-grade grand final victories for the St George Dragons club. He was named as one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
Trent Barrett is an Australian professional rugby league football coach who is currently the assistant coach of the Brisbane Broncos and a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.
Cameron Ciraldo is a professional rugby league football coach who is the head coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the National Rugby League (NRL), and a former professional rugby league footballer. He is known as the defensive coach behind the Penrith Panthers back-to-back premierships in 2021 and 2022. He was previously the head coach of the Italy national team and an assistant coach of the Penrith Panthers in the NRL. During his playing career, Ciraldo played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Newcastle Knights and the Penrith Panthers, all in the NRL, and was selected to represent Italy. He primarily played as a second-row or lock.
Ricky John Stuart is an Australian professional rugby league football coach who is the head coach of the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League (NRL) and a former rugby league footballer who played as a halfback in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
Luke Lewis is an Australian rugby league commentator and former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League (NRL) and Australia at international level.
Wade Graham is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a second-row forward and captained the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League (NRL). He has played for Australia at international level.
The history of the Penrith Panthers stretches back to the 1960s when a team from Penrith entering Sydney's elite competition was first mooted. After admission to the NSWRFL premiership in 1967, the club struggled on-field until reaching the finals for the first time in the 1980s, and reaching the grand final in the 1990s. The Panthers were a part of 1997's Super League competition before continuing in the re-unified NRL competition. The panthers have won six premierships in their history in 1991, 2003, and 4 premierships straight between 2021 and 2024.
Paul Bell, is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks from 1991–94, the Western Suburbs Magpies from 1995–96, the Perth Reds in 1997 and finally the Melbourne Storm in 1998-99. After his Australian career finished, he went over to England to play with the Leeds Rhinos in 2000.
This is a list of rivalries in the National Rugby League.
Shaun Johnson, nicknamed "Magic Johnson", is a former New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who last played as a halfback for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League.
Michael Lichaa is a Lebanon international rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker.
Scott Sorensen is a New Zealand international rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward and lock for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL.
Siosifa Talakai is an Australian rugby league footballer who plays as a centre or second-row forward for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Royce Hunt is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Wayne Darcy Peckham (1944-2016) was an Indigenous Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s. He played for Penrith and Canterbury as a centre but also played on the wing and as a second rower. Wayne Peckham was an Inaugural player for Penrith and the club's First Indigenous Player.
Bill Tonkin is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a lock in the 1950s and 1960s. He played for Penrith, Balmain, Western Suburbs and South Sydney. Tonkin was an inaugural player for Penrith and played in the club's first ever game.
Ron Quinn is an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s. He played for the Parramatta Eels and Cronulla-Sutherland in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition. Quinn is the cousin of Parramatta legend Mick Cronin.
Matt "Burto" Burton is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a five-eighth or halfback for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Charlie Staines is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays as a winger or fullback for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL).