We love the mighty Canberra Raiders
Brisbane Broncos excel in comebacks; Raiders struggle after intense finals against Sharks.
The Brisbane Broncos have emerged as the NRL's comeback kings during the 2025 finals series.
Their victory against the Canberra Raiders in the qualifying final was not a knockout match, yet it felt like one after an intense 94 minutes in the nation's capital.
The Raiders learned this harsh lesson just six days later when they hosted the Cronulla Sharks at home and suffered a loss.
Eric Smith, a Raiders fan, was surprised when Ricky Stuart offered him an assistant coaching role.
Eric Smith grew up as a Canberra Raiders fan in Tumut.
So imagine his surprise when Raiders coach Ricky Stuart called him out the blue to talk about joining the Green Machine as an assistant coach.
He's yet to sit down with the Canberra great to find out why he was on his radar to replace departing assistant Mick Crawley.
Albert Hopoate, released by Canberra Raiders, is close to signing with a new club.
Albert Hopoate, an uncontracted outside back, is nearing a deal with a new club for the 2026 season after being released by the Canberra Raiders. This follows his farewell along with five other players at the end of the current campaign.
A member of the well-known Hopoate family, Albert has played for the Canberra Raiders over the last four seasons, participating in 37 matches and scoring 13 tries. He previously spent a year with the Manly Sea Eagles in 2020.
During the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he featured in 29 matches combined but had a disappointing 2023, appearing in just one first-grade game after suffering a ruptured ACL in reserve-grade play in March.