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The Raiders joined the big time in 1982, had some great success across the late 1980s and early 1990s, and have had a host of champion players turn out in the lime green, white and navy over the years.
There was the Immortal Mal Meninga of course, and the likes of Ricky Stuart, Brad Clyde, Gary Belcher, Gary Coyne, David Furner and Glenn Lazarus, just to name a few.
Their greatest-ever team is right up there with the best of them, but who makes their greatest team of the NRL era, a period when success largely eluded the Green Machine, with their best finish a grand final loss to the Roosters in 2019.
Here’s my team, showing the number of games they played for the Raiders in the NRL era, and the only selection criteria is that they must have played a minimum of 50 top grade games for the club from the 1998 season on.
1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (67)
A fearless competitor who gave 100 per cent every time he took the field, CNK carried the team many times while at the Raiders, and he was instrumental in helping them to reach their only grand final in the NRL era back in 2019.
2. Jordan Rapana (215)
It would be hard to find a more competitive player in the game than the NZ and Cook Islands Test representative, and he’s given great service to the Raiders since joining them in 2014.
3. Jarrod Croker (308)
Fifteen seasons, 308 games, 136 tries and 2374 points for the Raiders. It doesn’t come much better than that. Croker was a loyal Raiders stalwart and an outstanding performer for the club. What he may have lacked in pace and flair he more than made up for with grit and dependability.
4. Jack Wighton (243)
Wighton was another tough operator from the nation’s capital and was their marquee player for many years before defecting to South Sydney in 2024 in a futile search of a premiership. He won both the Dally M and Clive Churchill Medals during his time in Canberra and has been a regular in both the NSW and Australian sides in recent years.
(Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
5. Joel Monaghan (129)
A powerful ball-runner, Australian Schoolboy representative and dog lover, Monaghan had two stints with the Raiders in his 17-year career, crossing for 69 tries. He also represented both NSW and the Kangaroos during his time with the Raiders.
6. Laurie Daley (c) (56)
Although nearing the end of his career when the NRL era began, Daley was still good enough to represent both NSW and Australia in 1998 and 1999, and was not only one of Canberra’s greatest, but also an inspirational leader. Tough, determined and blessed with more skill than most, the Dally M Medallist and three-time premiership winner is the first player picked in this team.
7. Todd Carney (71)
Carney was a brilliant player on the field but unfortunately a total liability off it, and you wonder where his career would have gone if he had better role models and more self-discipline. He debuted for the Raiders as a 17-year-old in 2004 and it soon became apparent that he had all the skills, speed and strength to be a one of the game’s best.
8. Joseph Tapine (194*)
The big Kiwi has been a fixture in the Raiders front row since joining the club from Newcastle in 2016 and has been in the top five front rowers in the game for several years. Tough and ruthless, he also has a great offload and invariably finishes on top of his opponents.
9. Josh Hodgson (138)
The clever Englishman was at the top of his game when he joined the club in 2015, and he played a big part in turning the club’s fortunes around and helping them to their only grand final appearance in the NRL era in 2019.
10. Josh Papali’i (307*)
A legend of the club with 14 seasons under his belt, big “Papa” was unstoppable when at his best and used his massive frame to great effect. He was also a Queensland stalwart and played 21 Test matches for Australia and Samoa.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
11. Ruben Wiki (147)
They don’t come any tougher than the Kava King, a ferocious competitor and a Kiwi legend with 55 Test appearances to his name. Whether it was taking the ball up to the opposition or destroying them with big hits, Wiki was without peer as a forward leader.
12. Elliott Whitehead (205)
There’s nothing flash about the big Englishmen, just a ruthless competitor, a strong leader and one of the best players ever to join the NRL from England. Little wonder he’s been one of the first players picked in the English team in recent years.
13. Jason Croker (187)
Croker was a gifted utility player and prolific try scorer who covered nearly every position on the field in his stellar 16-year career with the Raiders, and was even there when they won their last premiership back in 1994.
14. Alan Tongue (220)
No “best of” Canberra team would be complete without Alan Tongue, a passionate Raiders stalwart who played well above his weight and was one of the game’s foremost tackling machines.
15. Iosia Soliola (137)
Soliola joined the Raiders after a five-year stint in England, and the big, mobile Kiwi was a key component of their forward pack for the next six years.
16. Joel Thompson (89)
Thompson’s speed and experience at both centre and second row provides great edge cover from the bench, and he was a wholehearted competitor both in both attack and defence.
17. David Shillington (131)
The big front rower joined the Raiders from the Roosters in 2009, and his form for the Raiders saw him make both the Queensland and Australian sides that year. He was a consistent performer for the Raiders during his seven years with the club.
Now that’s a strong side, with a pack you just don’t want to mess with and a lethal backline.
Did I leave anyone out?
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