Canberra Raiders NRL News

Sat, 22nd February, 2025, 11:00 AEDT
Why an NRL guru believes the Raiders are in the mix to shock the comp
Canberra Raiders may be inexperienced but shouldn't be underestimated, says rugby league commentator. Vegas stage key.
The Canberra Times
The Canberra Raiders will be the least experienced side in the NRL this season, but that doesn't necessarily mean they deserve to be written off according to rugby league commentator Phil Gould.
The former NSW Blues coach said the youth policy being implemented at the Raiders is starting to bear fruit, despite the many player exits in the off-season, and the Las Vegas stage is the best place to announce they mean business.
"They're in the mix, there's no doubt," Gould said on his podcast on Nine.
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Thu, 20th February, 2025, 9:25 AEDT
What we learned from the Raiders two pre-season challenge games
Pre-season games are not indicative of regular season success, as shown by past champions' poor performance.
The Riotact
It's hard to read too much into pre-season games with key players either rested or given limited time on the field.
You only have to look at the fate of the two previous NRL pre-season champions. The Broncos won the 2024 pre-season challenge only to finish 12th in the premiership while the 2023 pre-season champions, Manly, also finished 12th in the regular season.
The Raiders accounted for a Panthers outfit minus their premiership players, 22-16, in their opening pre-season game before going down to the Sharks 40-10.
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Wed, 19th February, 2025, 12:55 AEDT
Tapine rallies around Papali'i amid off-season drama
Tapine supports Papali'i, focusing on game despite off-field issues before Las Vegas trip.
The Canberra Times
One half of the Canberra Raiders' intimidating starting prop duo, Joe Tapine, is backing teammate Josh Papali'i to put aside his off-field drama ahead of a blockbuster round one in Las Vegas.
The Raiders will leave Canberra on Thursday morning to start their journey for the NRL's Sin City spectacular on March 2, with the team to base itself in Las Vegas for a full week of preparations.
But they return, the legendary forward Papali'i will face ACT Magistrates Court on March 6 fighting charges of intimidating police and failing to leave a licensed premises for an alleged incident on September 16 at Raiders Gungahlin licensed club.
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