Canberra Raiders News

Mon, 4th August, 2025, 11:29 AEST
Canberra Raiders legend 'Slammin' Sam Backo dies at the age of 64 years
Sam Backo uniquely approached the Raiders, ready to play first grade despite not being signed.
Region Canberra
Sam Backo was cut from a different cloth than the average NRL player.
Legend has it that in 1983, Sam Backo walked into the Queanbeyan Leagues Club office of Don Furner, the Canberra Raiders coach at the time, and said he was ready to play first grade.
The Raiders hadn't signed Sam, but he had been on their radar since 1981.
As then secretary manager John McIntyre remembers, Sam was playing for the Valley Statesmen in the local second division as a teenager after coming back to Canberra from North Queensland.
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Mon, 4th August, 2025, 8:33 AEST
Three Assistants Eye Vacant NRL Head Coach Role
Three NRL assistant coaches are candidates for a head coaching role at Castleford Tigers.
LeagueNews.co
Three NRL assistant coaches are being considered for a head coaching role overseas, with the decision expected within the next five days.
As reported by Love Rugby League, the candidates include Daniel Holdsworth from the Cronulla Sharks, Jim Lenihan from the Gold Coast Titans, and Michael Crawley from the Canberra Raiders, all vying for the vacant position at Castleford Tigers.
Despite the interest in these assistants, Ryan Carr, an assistant at St George Illawarra Dragons, appears to be the frontrunner for the job.
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Mon, 4th August, 2025, 8:31 AEST
Raiders and Queensland icon Sam Backo dies aged 64
Sam Backo, Raiders and Maroons legend, passed away at 64 after battling meliodosis.
Zero Tackle
An icon for the Canberra Raiders and Queensland Maroons, Sam Backo has tragically passed away at the age of 64 after a three-month battle with tropical soil disease meliodosis.
Admitted to Cairns Hospital in April, Backo passed away on Sunday, surrounded by his family and friends.
A seven-time representative for Queensland, Backo is remembered for his tenure at the Canberra Raiders, in which he played 114 matches for the club before making the move to the Brisbane Broncos, where he would play a further 20 games.
He also made six appearances for Australia in 1988 and 1989 and was named in the Rest of the World team in 1988.
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