Canberra Raiders

History

At the beginning of the 1980s, the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL) was looking to expand its Sydney-based premiership into other areas of the state. The Queanbeyan Blues rugby league team who was coached by Colin O'Rourke at the time was selected to form the Canberra franchise. The Canberra franchise was accepted in 1981 as the 14th team for the 1982 NSWRFL season. Along with the Illawarra Steelers who were also introduced that season, they became the first NSWRFL club based outside Sydney since the old Newcastle team left in 1909.

1980s

The club's initial seasons were a mixed bag, with the team earning the wooden spoon in their debut year. The team was notorious for late game collapses, leading to the nicknames "Canberra Faders" and "Pine Lime Splices", in what was also a reference to the team's colours. In fact, no team has conceded more tries in a season than the 1982 Raiders. The first points recorded by the Raiders were scored by Peter McGrath, who went on to score 41 points in his first and only season with the Raiders. The club's first win, a 12–11 heartstopper against Newtown, came in its 8th match, and three more wins followed, most notably against then competition leaders Souths. 1983 saw 9 wins, more than doubling 1982's four. However, the team continued to struggle to win away from home. An away win first up in 1984 foreshadowed a much improved season, a positive winning record (13–11) snagging a playoff for fifth against South Sydney. But this game was lost (4–23), and Canberra had still not succeeded in reaching the semi-finals of the competition.

1985 saw regression, with the team winning only eight games (though the reserves did reach the Grand Final). Though 1986 was similarly disappointing, the team had a core group of players, such as Queensland trio Mal Meninga, Gary Belcher, Steve Walters, and John Ferguson who would greatly influence the coming decade.

This was the most successful period in the Raiders' short history, with five Grand Finals and three premierships. In 1987, the team finished third after the minor rounds, resulting in a maiden semi-finals appearance. Despite going down 25–16 in their first finals match against Eastern Suburbs, Canberra rallied to defeat South Sydney (46–12) and Easts again (32–24) in the Preliminary Final. The latter earned the team a place in the Grand Final, but they were never really competitive against minor premiers Manly-Warringah, going down 18–8 in what was the last Grand Final to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The GF attracted a then Raiders all-time record attendance of 50,201 which would stand until 2019. Laurie Daley, Peter Jackson and Glenn Lazarus all made their debut for Canberra in 1987, though only Queensland State of Origin Centre Jackson played a prominent role that year, more so after his centre partner Meninga broke his arm and missed half of the season.

1988 featured free-scoring (over 100 tries in 22 games) and a number of large victories, with the team again finishing in third place on the ladder. Unfortunately, a narrow 19–18 loss against eventual premiers Canterbury-Bankstown in the Major Semi-final was followed by defeat against the Balmain Tigers and an early exit. After the debuts of Daley, Jackson and Lazarus in 1987, 1988 saw the debuts of future internationals Bradley Clyde, and former Wallaby scrum half, Queanbeyan born Ricky Stuart.

1990s

1990 was a stellar year for the club at all levels. All three grades making the Grand Final, with only the reserves losing. The first grade side earned their first Minor Premiership and a second consecutive title, defeating Penrith in the decider. Trouble brewed in 1991 as the club was embroiled in salary cap hardships. Nonetheless, a fourth Grand Final berth was secured – the team's third in a row. However, the team went down to Penrith in a repeat of the 1990 Grand Final. Jason Croker, the team's second longest serving player, debuted this year.

The fallout from the salary cap scandal saw several players leave the club, most prominently Glenn Lazarus, Brent Todd, David Barnhill, Nigel Gaffey, and Paul Martin. An average performance resulted, with the Raiders missing the finals for the first time since 1986. David Furner, son of former Raiders and Australian coach Don Furner, started out in this year.

Since their final premiership in 1994 which was a convincing win against Canterbury-Bankstown with some of the most spectacular tries ever seen in a grand final with the final score being 36–12. Canberra have been unable to scale their previous heights, largely due to their inability to lure representative players to the capital. The team bowed out in Round 1 of the 1996 finals series, losing to St. George. The next year, they were one of several teams that joined the breakaway Super League competition, losing in the preliminary final to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. It was upon rejoining the newly formed National Rugby League the following year that the team began their decline. The Raiders' problems came to a head in the late 1990s, when club legends Ricky Stuart and Bradley Clyde were forced out in order to accommodate players such as Brett Finch. Finch would ironically leave the Canberra club soon after to play under Stuart, who has since returned to the club to be its head coach from 2014 onwards.

2000s

The Raiders had mixed results in the new millennium, often finishing just inside or just outside the final eight and usually being bundled out of the finals in the early weeks, However, in 2003, the Raiders unexpectedly led the competition for most of the season, almost clinching the minor premiership. The Raiders then lost narrowly to the Melbourne Storm in the opening finals game, but still advanced to Week 2 due to ladder position. In one of the closest games in recent history, the Raiders were eclipsed by one point in the preliminary final by the New Zealand Warriors and eliminated from the 2003 competition.

Many fans believed the achievements of 2003 would be improved in the following years. However, the Raiders finished a disappointing 8th in 2004, being knocked out in week one of the finals by the Sydney Roosters. Club legends Ruben Wiki and Mark McLinden left the Raiders for other clubs in this year. Wiki's loss, in particular, was a bitter pill to swallow for many Raiders fans, as it was found that the New Zealand Warriors had significantly breached the salary cap in signing him (the Warriors eventually paid the price for this, being docked four competition points at the beginning of the 2006 season). The 2005 side was written off by fans and critics alike, as the club's two major signings, Jason Smith and Matt Adamson, were aging veterans considered well past their prime. However, both, particularly Smith, proved formidable campaigners, and the Raiders were joint competition leaders in Round 10. But as the season progressed, injuries took their toll and the Raiders finished second last on points differential to the Newcastle Knights. The Raiders started season 2006 heavy favourites to run last, but despite this pessimism and heavy losses to the Knights and the Roosters early on, fought back and guaranteed themselves a finals berth with a round to play.

2006 saw club stalwarts Simon Woolford, Clinton Schifcofske and the club's second longest serving player, Jason Croker, leave the club, going to St George Illawarra, the Queensland Reds rugby union team and the Super League club Catalans Dragons respectively. Outgoing backs Schifcofske and Adam Mogg both earned representative berths with Queensland in State of Origin. Saturday 9 September 2006 saw Jason Croker, Simon Woolford, Clinton Schifcofske, Michael Hodgson, Jason Smith and Adam Mogg all play their final games for the club. The round one finals series clash with the Bulldogs saw the Raiders defeated 30–12 in slippery and muddy conditions at Telstra Stadium, and eliminated from the 2006 premiership race. This was also the final match for coach Matthew Elliott, who was coaching Penrith in 2007. His replacement is former North Queensland Cowboys' assistant coach Neil Henry.

2010s

The 2010 season began traditionally poorly for the Raiders with a loss to Penrith in the opening round however against early-season expectations that the Raiders would again struggle the club posted early season wins over Brisbane in round two, Parramatta in round five and the New Zealand Warriors in round eight in New Zealand in what was the club's first win in New Zealand since the early 2000s. However, losses to Todd Carney's new club the Roosters in round six and a narrow loss at home to the South Sydney Rabbitohs in round seven saw the club sitting second from last after round seven (last had the Melbourne Storm not been stripped of competition points due to salary cap breaches) of the 2010 season. Wins over the ladder-leading Dragons and the Gold Coast Titans followed until a four-game losing streak ensued; with the club sitting third from last after a round 17 home loss to the Roosters in what was Todd Carney's return to the nation's capital. The Raiders then began a run similar to that of Parramatta last year; winning eight of their next nine regular season matches to sneak into the top eight by season's end. The regular season's highest home attendance came when 20,445 fans filled Canberra Stadium to see the Raiders defeat the ladder-leading Dragons 32-16 for the second time in the season.

The Raiders advanced to the finals on the back of eight wins from their past nine and were drawn a tough away final against the second-placed Penrith Panthers whom the Raiders had beaten just five weeks earlier. The Raiders led from the start and despite lapses at times during the match the Raiders managed to sniff out a narrow 24–22 win, thus achieving its first final win in a decade, which ironically was also against the Panthers. This saw the Raiders draw a home final against the Wests Tigers in round two of the finals. Having lost to the Tigers twice during the regular season, it was hoped that a record crowd of 26,746 would inspire the Raiders to continue their fairytale run deep into the finals, however a missed penalty attempt by Jarrod Croker in the final minutes of the match saw Canberra lose by 26-24 and therefore draw a curtain on the Raiders' 2010 season. The Raiders off season didn't start well, with Joel Monaghan being sacked by the club for inappropriate behavior with a teammate's dog. This appeared to be a team building exercise, as photos surfaced showing the rest of the team cheering him on.

In 2011, the Raiders bolstered its already strong roster with the addition of Blake Ferguson, Brett White and former Dally M medalist Matt Orford. The latter signing was an important one for the Raiders as vice-captain and star playmaker Terry Campese is out indefinitely due to a knee injury suffered in the semi-final loss to Wests at the end of the 2010 season. After starting the season with a 40-16 thumping of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in round one, the Raiders have since lost their last eight matches in succession, and were sitting at the bottom of the ladder by round nine. Their fortunes started to turn when they caused the boilover of the 2011 season, upsetting the Melbourne Storm in Melbourne by 20–12. This was Canberra's first win in the Victorian capital since 2000. This was tempered by being held scoreless for the first time at home in their history by Melbourne in round 19, losing 26–0. One other unlikely win to the Raiders against a 7th place Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at home 20-12 has kept the momentum building as the Raiders look to turn their season around.

2020s

Canberra finished the 2020 NRL season in fifth place, narrowly missing out on fourth position. The season was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, with teams operating under strict biosecurity restrictions and altered travel requirements. Canberra defeated Cronulla-Sutherland and the Sydney Roosters to reach the preliminary final against Melbourne Storm. Unlike Melbourne, who had been based in Queensland for much of the disrupted season, Canberra were required to travel in and out for the match before losing 30–10 at Suncorp Stadium.

Canberra entered the 2021 NRL season as one of the premiership favourites but endured an inconsistent campaign, finishing 10th and missing the finals.

In the 2022 NRL season, Canberra recovered from a poor start to finish 8th and upset the Melbourne Storm in the opening week of the finals before being eliminated by the Parramatta Eels.

In the 2023 NRL season, Canberra again reached the finals, finishing 8th before being eliminated by the Newcastle Knights in extra time. The defeat extended the club’s premiership drought to 30 seasons.

In the 2024 NRL season, Canberra finished 9th on the ladder, level on competition points with Newcastle but missing the finals due to inferior points differential. The club finished strongly with upset victories over Penrith Panthers and the Sydney Roosters.

In the 2025 NRL season, Canberra claimed the minor premiership for the first time since 1990 after finishing first on the ladder. Head coach Ricky Stuart was awarded the Dally M Coach of the Year. Despite entering the finals as premiership favourites, Canberra were eliminated in straight sets after losses to Brisbane and Cronulla. Their qualifying final against Brisbane was described as one of the greatest finals matches in the modern era, with several controversial officiating decisions in golden point. Following their minor premiership victory, the NRL drew criticism after presenting Canberra’s trophy while it remained partially wrapped in protective bubble wrap, an incident widely ridiculed by fans and commentators.

In the 2026 NRL season, Canberra entered the year aiming to build on their 2025 campaign but struggled for consistency through the opening 16 rounds. They did not qualify for the finals. Off the field, the Raiders intensified calls for a new rectangular stadium in Canberra, arguing that Canberra Stadium was outdated compared to newer NRL venues and lacked modern facilities needed for future growth. Otherwise, the club remains heavily associated with one of rugby league’s most controversial moments — the overturned six-again call in the 2019 NRL Grand Final by referee Ben Cummins, a decision still widely debated as a turning point in the match.

Toyota Cup (Under 20s)

The Raiders' Toyota Cup team won 28–24 over the Broncos' team in golden point extra time to win the Toyota Cup (Under 20s) Premiership in the lead-up game to the NRL Grand Final on 5 October 2008. In 2009 the team was unsuccessful in defending its National Youth Competition title, finishing eighth at the end of the regular season. The team were able to upset the minor premiers Manly in week one of the finals but lost to the Wests Tigers in week two ending their title defence.

Head-to-head records

Finals appearances

25 (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2025).

Emblem and colours

Since inception, the Raiders' team colours have been lime green and white with blue and gold bands. In recent years, the "away" strip for the team has been mostly white, with lime green, blue and gold bands. The lime green was chosen as the main colour as it differentiated the side from the colours of other clubs. The blue and gold were included in the Raiders colours as they are the traditional sporting colours of the Australian Capital Territory.

The original jersey's design was chosen through a competition held by the club in 1981. The winning entrant was Ms Patricia Taylor, whose design was duly adopted. The lime green colour was selected from the entry of David Lane, who had submitted a design with the team name of 'Canberra Cockatoos'.

Stadium

Seiffert Oval

From 1982 until the end of 1989, the Raiders played their home games at the Seiffert Oval located in Queanbeyan in New South Wales. They played their first game at the ground on 6 March 1982 against the Western Suburbs Magpies. the Magpies won this game 33–4 in front of 6,769 fans. The Raiders first win at Seiffert came on 18 April with a 21–11 win over 1981 Grand Finalists Newtown.

Overall, the Raiders would play 98 games at Seiffert Oval, winning 52, losing 45 with one drawn game. Canberra's largest attendance at Seiffert came in Round 12 of the 1989 season when 18,272 saw the Raiders triumph 27–6 over the Brisbane Broncos who were coached by former Raiders co-coach Wayne Bennett.

Bruce/Canberra Stadium

In 1990, the Canberra Raiders moved out of their original home and into the spacious Bruce Stadium which is located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport. The club has remained at Bruce Stadium (later renamed Canberra Stadium, then GIO Stadium due to current naming rights sponsorship) ever since. As of the end of the 2022 NRL season, the Canberra Raiders have played over 300 games at Canberra Stadium.

The Raiders attendance record at Canberra Stadium stands at 26,567 for a Finals week 3 clash against the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2019. The Raiders beat Souths 16–10 to progress to their first Grand Final since 1994.

The club shares the ground with Super Rugby team the ACT Brumbies.

Canberra Raiders Leagues Club

The Queanbeyan Leagues Club (QLC) was founded in 1963.

In December 1972, QLC was burnt to the ground and rebuilt a year later. As a part of the redevelopment, the famous "Blue Room" was built. The Blue Room became the place to go in the region with its silver service dining and musical entertainment. Also rebuilt was the QLC's auditorium, which brought headline acts to Queanbeyan including the Delltones and Johnny O'Keefe.

In 1989, the Auditorium was revamped and a nightclub was built. In 1982, the Canberra Raiders were established, and with them and their early success, QLC continued to grow in leaps and bounds.

The club is part of the Raiders Group which operate across the ACT and Queanbeyan and includes:

Raiders Belconnen

Raiders Gungahlin

Raiders Mawson Club

Raiders Weston

Players

25-Year Dream Team

This is the 25-man "Dream Team" picked in the Canberra Times to celebrate the club's 25th season in 2006

Coaches

The Canberra Raiders' first coach was former Queensland and Australian representative player, Don Furner, who was coaching in Queanbeyan at the time of the club's formation in 1982. In 1987 he was joined by Wayne Bennett, who was coaching in Brisbane, and the Raiders reached their first grand final. In 2022, Ricky Stuart will become the longest-serving coach.

Statistics and records

The Raiders' largest ever winning margin was 68 points, when they defeated the Parramatta Eels 68-0 during the 1993 NSWRL season. Their worst loss was in the 2013 NRL season when the Melbourne Storm dealt a 4–68 defeat. Canberra have won eleven consecutive games twice, in 1990 and in 1995.

Josh Papali'i has played the most games for the Raiders (327 games as of August 2025), surpassing the prior record holder Jason Croker in Round 14 of the 2025 NRL season. Croker, who played 318 games between 1991 and 2006 also holds the club's 2nd all-time try-scoring record with 120. Jarrod Croker is Canberra's highest ever point scorer with 2374 (136 tries, 915 goals) between 2009 and 2023. Jarrod Croker took out the award of highest point scorer in the NRL in 2012, 2015, and 2016. He was also awarded Dally M captain of the year in 2016.

Honours

Youth and pre-season

NSWRL Premier League: 1

2003

New South Wales Rugby League Club Championships: 1

1990

Channel TEN Challenge Cup: 1

1990

Tooheys Challenge Cup: 1

1993

Jersey Flegg Cup: 2

1989, 1993

Under-20s Competition: 1

2008

Presidents Cup: 2

1990, 1995

S.G. Ball Cup: 4

1995, 2003, 2005, 2021

Harold Matthews Cup: 4

1978, 1984, 1993, 1995

Supporters

The Canberra Raiders receive support from groups of fans, including supporter's website, podcast and news service "Raidercast"; and forum "The Greenhouse".

Canberra fans became widely known for the Viking War Horn and 'Viking Thunder Clap', a nod to the Viking chant recently made famous by fans of the Iceland national football team.

Notable celebrity supporters of the club include;