History of the Canberra Raiders facts for kids
The Canberra Raiders Rugby League Football Club started in 1982. They were one of the first teams from outside the Sydney area to join the top rugby league competition in Australia. Since then, the Raiders have played in every season and have won the championship three times: in 1989, 1990, and 1994.
Contents
How the Raiders Began
In 1981, the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL) decided to add more teams to its competition. For the first time in many years, they looked beyond Sydney. They wanted to include two teams from other parts of New South Wales. The Canberra team was chosen as the 14th team to play in the 1982 season. They joined along with the Illawarra Steelers. This made Canberra the first team ever from outside New South Wales to compete in the league.
The team didn't have a name at first. The media started calling them the "Raiders." This was because they were the first team based outside Sydney since the old Newcastle Rebels team left the league in 1909. It was like they were "raiding" the Sydney-based competition!
Early Years: 1982 to 1986
The Raiders' first coach was Don Furner, a former Australian player. Their first captain was David Grant. In their early seasons, the Raiders had mixed results. They often lost games in the final moments, earning them the nickname "Canberra Faders." In 1982, they gave up more tries than any other team.
Their first win was a close 12-11 game against Newtown in their eighth match. They won three more games that year, including one against the top team, Souths. Even so, they finished last in their first year. But this was the only time they ever received the "wooden spoon" (the award for finishing last).
In 1983, Allan McMahon became the new captain. The team won nine games, more than double their wins from 1982. However, they still found it hard to win games away from home. Ron Giteau took over as captain in 1984. They won an away game early that year, which showed they were improving. They had a winning record of 13 wins and 11 losses. This earned them a playoff game for fifth place against Souths, but they lost. The Raiders still hadn't reached the semi-finals.
In 1985, Dean Lance was named captain. The team didn't do as well, winning only eight games. However, their reserve team made it to the Grand Final. The 1986 season was also tough. But the team had a strong group of players who would become very important. These included Mal Meninga, Gary Belcher, Steve Walters, and John Ferguson. Gary Belcher was the first Raiders player to be chosen to play for the Australian national team in 1986.
Golden Era: 1987 to 1995
This was the most successful time for the Raiders. They played in five Grand Finals and won three championships!
Breaking Through: 1987 Season
In 1987, Wayne Bennett, a successful coach, joined Don Furner as co-coach. New talented players like Laurie Daley, Peter Jackson, and Glenn Lazarus also started playing. The team finished third, making it to the semi-finals for the first time. They lost their first finals match but then won two more. This earned them a spot in the Grand Final. However, they lost to Manly 8-18.
New Coach, New Success: 1988-1990
In 1988, Tim Sheens became the new coach. Bradley Clyde and Ricky Stuart were new players who started this year. The team scored a lot of points, with over 100 tries in 22 games. They finished third again. But they lost in the semi-finals and were knocked out early.
Mal Meninga became captain in 1989. With five games left, Canberra was in seventh place and might have missed the finals. But they won a tough game against Easts, starting a nine-match winning streak. This led them to their first championship! In one of the most exciting Grand Finals ever, the Raiders tied the game late. Steve Jackson then scored the winning try in extra time. This famous game is now remembered each year with the 1989 League Legends Cup. Later that year, Canberra played British champions Widnes Vikings in England. The Raiders lost 18-30.
1990 was an amazing year for the club. All three of their teams (first grade, reserves, and juniors) made it to the Grand Final. Only the reserves lost. The main team won their first Minor Premiership (finishing first in the regular season) and their second championship in a row. They beat Penrith in the final game.
Challenges and Another Title: 1991-1994
In 1991, the club faced problems with the "salary cap." This is a rule that limits how much teams can spend on player salaries. The league said Canberra had broken the rules when they won the championship the year before. Despite this, they made it to their fourth Grand Final, their third in a row. But they lost to Penrith this time. Jason Croker, who would become the team's longest-serving player, started this year. Because of the salary cap issues, several key players left the club. This led to the Raiders missing the finals in 1992 for the first time since 1986.
David Furner, son of the first Raiders coach, started playing in 1992. The team finished 12th and missed the finals. 1993 was much better. The Raiders were in first place with two games left. But then, during a huge 68-0 win over Parramatta, Ricky Stuart got a bad leg injury. The team then lost their next three games and missed out on another Grand Final spot.
1994 was the last season for Mal Meninga, the Raiders' captain and an Australian test captain. Canberra finished third in the regular season and made it to the Grand Final again. Meninga ended his career in style, scoring the final try as the Raiders won their third championship in six seasons.
After Meninga retired, Ricky Stuart became captain in 1995. The team finished second but lost in the preliminary finals.
Later Years: 2000s and 2010s
After their big success in the early 90s, the Raiders had mixed results.
New Millennium: 2000-2006
The Raiders had ups and downs in the new millennium. They often finished just inside or just outside the top eight teams. If they made the finals, they usually got knocked out early. Simon Woolford became captain in 2001. Matthew Elliott took over as coach in 2002.
In 2003, the Raiders surprised everyone by leading the competition for most of the season. They almost won the minor premiership. They lost a close finals game to the Melbourne Storm but still moved on. In a very close preliminary final, they lost by one point to the New Zealand Warriors and were out of the competition.
Many fans thought 2003 was just the start of more success. But in 2004, the Raiders finished a disappointing eighth. They were knocked out in the first week of the finals. Key players Ruben Wiki and Mark McLinden left the club. Wiki's departure was especially tough for fans.
In 2005, many thought the team wouldn't do well. But new players Jason Smith and Matt Adamson played very well. The Raiders were tied for the lead after 10 rounds. However, injuries hurt the team, and they finished second to last.
In 2006, many expected the Raiders to finish last. But despite some big losses early on, they fought back and made it to the finals. This year, long-serving players like Simon Woolford (the captain), Clinton Schifcofske, and Jason Croker left the club. Schifcofske and Adam Mogg were even chosen to play for Queensland in State of Origin. The Raiders lost their first finals game to the Bulldogs and were eliminated. This was also coach Matthew Elliott's last game. Neil Henry became the new coach.
Building for the Future: 2007-2009
In 2007, the Raiders were a bit of a mystery. They had lost many experienced players and had a new captain, Alan Tongue. They relied on young players like Todd Carney and William Zillman. Many thought they would finish last. The season was disappointing, with the Raiders finishing 14th. They played much better at home than away.
The 2008 season started with some hope. But the club then had many losses. Injuries were a big problem, with three key players suffering serious knee injuries. Coach Neil Henry decided to leave for another club. Former player and club legend David Furner took over as coach in 2009.
Despite these challenges, the Raiders had a strong finish to 2008. They won big games against the Brisbane Broncos and Canterbury Bulldogs. They also broke a long losing streak against St. George-Illawarra. A highlight was a big 34-12 win over the league leaders, the Sydney Roosters. They even had a massive 74-12 win over the Panthers. Against all odds, the Raiders made it to the 2008 finals series. However, their finals run was short, as they were eliminated after one game.
In 2008, the Raiders' junior team (Under 20s) won their premiership in a thrilling extra-time game.
The 2009 season started slowly for the Raiders. But with the help of young players like Josh Dugan and Jarrad Croker, they won their next two games. Despite a tough season with many close losses, the Raiders beat the Melbourne Storm for the first time in 14 games. They also handed the Brisbane Broncos their biggest ever defeat with a 56-0 win. Even with wins against some top teams, the Raiders finished 13th.
A Decade of Ups and Downs: 2010s
The 2010 season started slowly, but the Raiders surprised many. They had early wins against Brisbane and Parramatta. They also won in New Zealand for the first time in years. After a tough middle part of the season, the Raiders went on a great run. They won eight of their last nine regular season games to sneak into the top eight. A record crowd of 20,445 fans watched them beat the Dragons at home.
Canberra went into the finals with great momentum. They won a close game against the Penrith Panthers, their first finals win in ten years. This set up a home final against the Wests Tigers. A record crowd of 26,746 fans came to support them. But the Raiders lost a very close game 26-24, ending their 2010 season.
The 2011 season started with a big win. But then the Raiders lost eight games in a row and were at the bottom of the ladder. Their luck changed when they upset the Melbourne Storm in Melbourne, their first win there since 2000. However, they were later held scoreless at home by Melbourne, losing 26-0.
In 2012, Canberra finished sixth and made the finals. They beat the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks but were then eliminated by South Sydney.
The 2013 season started with two tough losses. The team also had some player issues, with Josh Dugan being let go. However, the Raiders then won five of their next seven games, including upsets against the undefeated Melbourne Storm and the Sydney Roosters. They won all their home games for the first 12 rounds.
In 2014, Ricky Stuart became the new head coach. A star player, Anthony Milford, decided to leave for another team, which disappointed fans. Canberra finished 15th, just avoiding last place. In 2015, they finished 10th, struggling with their defense.
2016 was a great year for the Raiders. They finished second, their best result in a long time. They made the finals for the first time since 2012. Jarrod Croker broke the club's point-scoring record. The team scored the most points ever in a single season. They made it to the preliminary final, but lost a very close game to the Melbourne Storm 14-12.
In 2017 and 2018, Canberra finished 10th and missed the finals. The 2018 season was frustrating, as they often lost games after being far ahead.
The 2019 NRL season saw one of the Raiders' best starts since the 90s. They won five of their first six games. By round 21, they were in third place. New players like Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and John Bateman were very important to the team's success. The Raiders made it to the 2019 NRL Grand Final, beating the top-ranked Melbourne Storm and third-placed South Sydney Rabbitohs along the way.
Recent Seasons: 2020s
In the 2020 NRL season, Canberra finished fifth. They beat Cronulla-Sutherland and the Sydney Roosters in the finals. This set up a preliminary final against Melbourne, which they lost, ending their season.
The 2021 NRL season started well, with two wins. But then Canberra only won once in their next seven games. By mid-season, they were in 13th place. They had a late-season comeback, winning five of their last eight games. But they lost their final game to the Sydney Roosters, finishing 10th and missing the finals.
Canberra had a tough start to the 2022 NRL season, losing five games in a row. By round 14, they were 11th and seemed unlikely to make the top eight. But they then won eight of their last ten games, moving into eighth place. In the first week of the finals, Canberra upset Melbourne 28-20. However, they were then defeated by Parramatta, ending their season.
Images for kids
-
Raiders playing the Tigers at Canberra Stadium, July 2006
