Top Fives 2018

[greeneyed]

Now the 2018 season is over, we will again be counting down the top five Canberra Raiders players, wins, tries, backs, forwards... and more!

First up it is the Top Five Players of 2018...

Number Five



Winger Jordan Rapana finished fifth in the 2018 Fan's Choice voting, and equal fifth in the Meninga Medal count. He played 21 games scored 10 tries, and produced five try assists, 133 metres from 13 runs per match, 81 tackle breaks and 24 offloads in 2018. He represented the New Zealand Kiwis in the one off Test against Australia and on the Kiwis tour of England.

[Mr. Snrub]

Consistently a great player year after year. Someone who gives his absolute all every game.

[Green eyed Mick]

Cotric, Rapa, Papa, Whitehead and Tapine were our top 5 players IMO.

Honorable mentions for Hodgo and Wighton who were very good when they were fit and able to play as well as Havili who had a very good season.

[greeneyed]

Top five players of 2018...

Number 4

Josh Hodgson





Josh Hodgson spent the first half of the season on the sidelines recovering from an ACL injury, but when he returned he was just as good as ever. He ranked fourth in Fan's Choice Voting, and was voted man of the match three times - including his return match against the Wests Tigers. Despite playing limited matches, he was equal fifth at the Raiders for total try involvements and first for try assists. No NRL hooker produced more try assists, and he ranked third for total try involvements behind Cameron Smith and Damien Cook. He ranked first amongst NRL hookers for total try involvements (1.5) and line break assists (0.9) per match. Those are insane numbers. He topped the average tackle count per match at the Raiders to boot. He finished the year by returning to the England team as their No. 1 hooker for the Test series against the Kiwis.

[greeneyed]

Top five players of 2018...

Number 3

Elliott Whitehead



Elliott Whitehead finished third in Canberra Raiders Fans' Choice Player of the Year voting and equal second in the Meninga Medal tally. Amongst the Raiders forwards, he was the top try scorer of the year (10), and ranked equal first for total try involvements (16) alongside Josh Hodgson. Whitehead also ranked equal first (with Gavin Cooper) for try involvements amongst his NRL second row peers. He was the Raiders top tackler (641), but ranked third for average tackles per match, behind Josh Hodgson and Joe Tapine. His best match of the year. He made 14 runs for 198 metres, four tackle breaks and 33 tackles. He represented England in the Denver Test and in the post season Test against France and the series against New Zealand. He was man of the match in the Denver Test and last weekend's first Test against the Kiwis. He's now been nominated for the Golden Boot award, for best player in 2018's international matches.

[greeneyed]

Top five players of 2018...

Number 2

Joseph Tapine



Joe Tapine finished second in Canberra Raiders Fans' Choice voting in 2018 and equal second in the Meninga Medal count. He was voted man of the match by the fans twice, with both matches being losses (Round 21 V Panthers and Round 22 V Tigers). In the loss to the Tigers, he scored two tries and made 15 runs for a season high 152 metres, 30 post contact metres, 10 tackle breaks, three line breaks, three off loads and 29 tackles. For mine it was his best game of the season.



Amongst the Raiders' forwards, he ranked first for tackle breaks, equal first for line breaks, equal second for offloads, equal third for total try involvements and fourth for average metres gained. He ranked third in the forwards for average metres per run, behind Siliva Havili and Shannon Boyd. He ranked fourth amongst the Raiders' forwards for average tackles per match. Amongst his second row peers, Tapine was top five for tackle breaks, and was second only to Jason Taumalolo for tackle breaks per match. He also ranked equal fourth amongst NRL second rowers for average line breaks per match. He was in the top 10 second rowers for average tackles per match.

He is finishing the year with the New Zealand Kiwis in England. He missed the post season Test against the Kangaroos, as he was still recovering from a broken thumb, but he was a late inclusion in the First Test in Hull.

[greeneyed]

Top five players of 2018...

Number 1

Josh Papalii



Josh Papalii was named both Meninga Medalist and Canberra Raiders Fans' Choice Player of the Year in 2018. It was a remarkable come back after being dropped to Mounties in Round 5. He took Fans' Choice man of the match in six matches (Round 10 V Sharks, Round 11 V Dragons, Round 14 V Panthers, Round 18 V Cowboys, Round 23 V Roosters and Round 25 V Warriors).



He made an average of 126 metres from 14 runs per match, the only Raiders forward to break the 100 metre mark. He broke the 200 metres gained mark in the Round 10 match against the Sharks and the 150 metre mark in seven matches. Amongst the Raiders' forwards, he ranked equal third for try involvements, equal first for line breaks and second for tackle breaks, just marginally behind Joe Tapine.

He ranked sixth amongst NRL locks for total running metres, and was inside the top 10 NRL locks for average running metres and metres per carry. He was second only to Jason Taumalolo for tackle breaks (56) amongst NRL locks. In defence, Papalii averaged 27 tackles per game this year.

He was the only Raider to play Origin in 2018, playing in all three matches for the Maroons. He may well have earned a recall to the Kangaroos for their two end of season Tests, but wedding plans intervened.

[greeneyed]

This week we're counting down the Top Five Wins of 2018...

Number 5

Round 8: Canberra Raiders 18 - North Queensland Cowboys 8. It was a night for the true believers. Most Raiders fans did not see this display from the Green Machine coming. Most expected that the nine game losing streak in Townsville, which dated back to 2006, would continue. Many expected a big win for the Cowboys. Even if the match was close, most expected that Johnathan Thurston would produce some magic to break green hearts at the death. But the Raiders' defence was full of aggression, attitude and character. It was a huge turnaround from the soft defence in the loss to the Rabbitohs. It was the foundation for an outstanding win. Full match review

[greeneyed]

Top five wins of 2018...

Number 4

Round 17: Canberra Raiders 32 - Canterbury Bulldogs 28. It was the most extraordinary of wins for the Canberra Raiders. The Raiders played poorly for much of the match. The team looked flat, the defence was too often found wanting, the discipline was poor and there were too many errors. It was not a performance from a team that had their season on the line. The Bulldogs went to a 14 point lead with just over seven minutes remaining. But the Raiders then produced one of the most remarkable finishes in their history. Full match review

[greeneyed]

Top five wins of 2018...

Number 3

Round 15: Canberra Raiders 48 - Wests Tigers 12. Josh Hodgson returned for the Canberra Raiders from an ACL injury and he looked like he’d never been away from the field. He started on the bench... but when he came onto the field he took control. It was a masterful performance. Full match review

[greeneyed]

Top five wins of 2018...

Number 2

Round 24: Canberra Raiders 24 - South Sydney Rabbitohs 12. The Raiders defeated a minor premiership contender for the second week in a row - and in fine fashion. Canberra was missing Jarrod Croker, Aidan Sezer and Jack Wighton... but Canberra finally seemed to have found a winning forumula. It was determined, courageous football from the Green Machine, in the final home game for Blake Austin, Shannon Boyd and Junior Paulo. Full match review

[greeneyed]

Top five wins of 2018...

Number 1

Round 23: Canberra Raiders 14 - Sydney Roosters 12. The margin was again narrow, but this time it was in favour of the Raiders. The Raiders won despite the Roosters scoring two tries to one. It was a gritty performance from Canberra, determined. It was the sort of grinding victory that Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has been long searching for. The Roosters might not have been at their absolute best, but they were a team playing for a minor premiership - and they played well. Ultimately, the Roosters would take the minor premiership - and win the Grand Final. Raiders fans were left scratching their heads... where has this Raiders team been all season? Full match review

[greeneyed]

This week, we are counting down the top five Canberra Raiders stories of 2018...

Number 5

Blake Austin departs the Raiders, signs with Warrington Wolves



Blake Austin was the Dally M five eighth of the year in 2015. But by 2018, his contract was ultimately not renewed by the Canberra Raiders. In 2019, he's joining the Warrington Wolves on a three year contract in the European Super League - after being linked to the Eels. Austin was offered a significant new contract by the Raiders in 2017, but he turned it down - with some reports suggesting he wanted to demonstrate on field he was worth an even bigger contract. Austin said later it was not about the money, but being sure he was happy at the club. In any event, subsequent offers were reportedly lower than the initial offer - and eventually, the Raiders took their offer off the table.

The long running saga ended in early July when Austin decided to head to Super League and sign with the Wolves. At the time, he said he gave serious consideration to the Eels' offer.

“A lot of people thought we were looking to get closer to family [in western Sydney], he said. "[The Eels] were an option and one I considered pretty heavily. I would have been 10 minutes from mum and dad and I supported the club as a kid. But weighing everything up, I’m really excited about heading to the Super League and seeing what it’s all about.”

[greeneyed]

Top five stories of 2018...

Number 4

Junior Paulo returns to Eels



Junior Paulo joined the Canberra Raiders from the Eels in the middle of the 2016 season, amidst the Parramatta salary cap scandal and after being involved in a number of off field controversies. He had been issued a warning by police for consorting with criminals, and his own manager urged him to leave the Eels and western Sydney for the sake of his own welfare.

A little over a year later, Paulo was awarded the 2017 Meninga Medal - the player judged by his peers to be the Canberra Raiders Player of the Year. He appeared to be well settled with the Green Machine, having left his off field issues behind him. However, from early this season, there was considerable uncertainty surrounding his tenure at the Raiders for 2019 and beyond - with reports indicating a return to Eels was in the offing. And in late May, it was confirmed he would be returning to Parramatta on a four year deal, reportedly worth $3 million. It was a price that was too steep for the Raiders, a contract too long for the Raiders.

On signing with the Eels, Paulo said he was not concerned about returning to the environment of western Sydney.

"I was getting into trouble and I was a bit immature at the time," Paulo said. "My move to Canberra [was] beneficial for me away from the footy field and helped me mature as a person and as a father."

"But I feel I'm [now] a lot more mature, and you can't let things get in the way of your career. I'm looking after my family, that's what the move is about. I've secured our future financially and we'll also be around that family support."

[greeneyed]

Top five stories of 2018...

Number 3

Shannon Boyd signs with Gold Coast Titans



Canberra Raiders prop Shannon Boyd played his best game of the season against the Gold Coast Titans in Round 9 at Canberra Stadium. Ironically, he signed with the Titans shortly after that match - on a four year deal reportedly worth $650,000 a season. Again, that was a contract for a big name prop that the Raiders declined to match. The Raiders offered a three year deal, but that was knocked back by Boyd. It ended a long "will he or won't he" re-signing saga.

At the time, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart made it clear that the club could not keep all of the players that were off contract.

"They are off-contract and I want to keep every one of them, but I can't pay the huge money that has been offered to these boys," Stuart said.

"If Junior [Paulo] and Boyd are getting this astronomical money from other clubs, they go with my best wishes. It's going to affect us as a football team. I wanted to keep stability whilst I'm coaching here because I know stability will get you success at some stage.

"But the money that is being thrown around is astronomical for those two boys and we can't match it, simple as that.

"The one thing I want to do here as a club now is I want players to be here for all the right reasons, not just for getting the most money. That's got nothing to do with Junior or Shannon, but the money they are being offered is huge."

The decision to let both Boyd and Paulo go also signaled a change of strategy for the Green Machine - shifting to more mobile middle forwards, and ensuring that there is not too much of the salary cap tied up in props.

It's a move former Queensland representative Billy Moore appeared to endorse. He questioned the Boyd signing by the Titans.

“They’ve got too many middles (front-row forwards) and if there is any changes in the interchange, Boyd is the type of player that impacts because he’ll need to play more minutes than he does right now,” Moore said.

Time will tell which strategy pays off.

[greeneyed]

Top five stories of 2018...

Number 2

Papalii a Raider for life



The rumours started in earnest in February this year.

"Which club is making a huge play for Canberra Raiders off contract second rower Josh Papalii for 2019 with an offer Ricky Stuart will find hard to match?" The Sunday Telegraph reported.

It was far from clear Papalii wanted to leave the nation's capital. Papalii returned from a World Cup stint with Samoa well out of condition - and was concerned he'd jeopardised his contract negotiations with the Green Machine.

"I think my manager has spoken to [Ricky Stuart] once or twice but that was before the World Cup," Papalii said in February. "Obviously I didn’t have a strong World Cup, so I think that's still up in the air. It'd be nice to get it done before the season starts, but these things can drag on."

They certainly did. The club making a "huge play" for Papalii was variously reported to be the Warriors, the Titans... and most notably, the Rabbitohs. One journalist even claimed Papalii had signed with South Sydney.

But Papalii eventually signed a four year contract extension with the Raiders in June, tying him to the Green Machine until the end of 2022.

"Security was the biggest key behind my contract but like I said from the start of my career, once a Canberra Raider always a Raider," Papalii said on re-signing.

"So, I'm happy to sign again for four years and keep the green jersey on my back. That will be me to 30 and hopefully I'll still be getting better as age goes on."

He admitted there had been strong interest from the Rabbitohs.

"I had my options there, but I've got two kids and a partner myself and you take that into perspective and the best option for them and my footy career was to stay here. It wasn't hard at all."

Coach Ricky Stuart was more than happy to retain the big man.

"After the hiccup at the start of the year with how he came back from the World Cup, the way he's turned himself around and changed his attitude towards his lifestyle and preparation to get him to where he is today, it (offering a four-year deal) was quite easy."

It now seems likely Papalii will end his career as a one club man. A Raider for life.

[greeneyed]

Top five stories of 2018

Number 1

Wighton suspended



It is a story that unfortunately spanned most of 2018. It started in early February, a birthday celebration gone wrong in the early hours of the morning outside the Academy nightclub in Civic. In June, Wighton pleaded guilty in court to six charges of assault and urinating in public - and he was stood down by the Canberra Raiders for six matches. That was an insufficient penalty for the NRL - and they came over the top of the Raiders and imposed a 10 week ban and a $30,000 fine. It essentially ruled Wighton out for the remainder of the season. The unhappy story reached its conclusion just two days ago, when Wighton was sentenced in the ACT's Galambany Court. He was handed a suspended two-month jail sentence, a one year good behaviour bond and a $3,500 fine.

Wighton admitted it was a "big muck up on my behalf". He apologised to his victims outside the court.

"I'd like to take the opportunity to apologise to the victims of the incident for any pain I may have caused them and their families," he said. "There are no excuses for my behaviour. I want to let them know that I'm truly sorry for what happened that night."

[Sid]

Thought it was going to be UBank thread

[greeneyed]

This week, we'll bring you the top five Canberra Raiders forwards and backs of 2018.

Today... the forwards...

Number 5

Shannon Boyd



Prop Shannon Boyd made 21 appearances in season 2018 - missing three matches after he suffered a calf injury in the miraculous comeback win over the Bulldogs at Belmore in Round 17. He started the season with a bang, given the opportunity as starting prop. He took man of the match honours in the first two rounds of the season in Fans' Choice voting - and again in the Round 9 victory over the Titans. In that Round 9 game, he scored one try and made 13 runs for 142 metres, five tackle breaks, two line breaks and 19 tackles. It was probably his best game of the season. Ironically, he signed with the Titans shortly after that match - on a four year deal reportedly worth $2.4 million. In the second half of the season, his performances unfortunately tailed off significantly.

And with four fowards in the top five players... we have the full top five.

Number 4

Josh Hodgson



Number 3

Elliott Whitehead



Number 2

Joseph Tapine



Number 1

Josh Papalii

[Seiffert82]

Shannon Boyd...89 metres and 20 tackles per game.

Epic!

[greeneyed]

Top five backs of 2018...

Number 5

Aidan Sezer



Aidan Sezer made 18 appearances for the Canberra Raiders in 2018. He started the first two matches on the bench in a utility role, part of the "three halves" strategy designed to cover the absence of hooker Josh Hodgson. However, it quickly became apparent that Sezer was not well suited to the hooker/utility spot - and that the "three halves" strategy was not working. By Round 3, Sezer had been restored to the starting line up - at five eighth - before returning to his regular half back role in Round 6. He nailed down the No. 7 jersey after that, but the end of Sezer's year was affected by a hamstring injury, playing just one match after Round 18.

Sezer ranked equal 10th for average try involvements per game amongst his NRL halfback peers - and eighth for average try assists. Despite playing only 18 games, he ranked first at the Raiders for total try involvements, and second to Josh Hodgson for try assists. His best game of the year came in the Round 5 victory over the Bulldogs, when he produced two try assists, two runs for 12 metres, 13 tackles and 14 kicks for 315 metres.

[greeneyed]

Top five backs of 2018...

Number 4

Joey Leilua



Joey Leilua was named Dally M centre of the year in 2018. He scored 14 tries, putting him amongst the top 10 try scorers in the NRL and equal second amongst NRL centres. He was also the top try scorer at the Raiders. However, his try assists and try contributions were down, with his total try involvements falling from 23 to 17. He ranked inside the top 15 players in the NRL for tackle breaks - and was second only to Latrell Mitchell amongst NRL centres.

Unfortunately, some of his best games this year came in narrow losses. He was rated as man of the match in Fans' Choice voting twice - in the Round 3 loss to the Warriors, as well as the Round 19 loss to the Sharks. His best game probably came in the Round 21 loss to the Panthers, he scored three tries, and produced 11 runs for 108 metres, seven tackle breaks, three line breaks, one off load, nine tackles. That was probably his best performance of the season.

[greeneyed]

Top five backs of 2018...

Number 3

Nick Cotric



Nick Cotric was not only the Canberra Raiders Rookie of the Year in 2017, he was the Dally M Rookie of the Year and joint winner of the Canberra Raiders Fans' Choice Award. He made his unexpected debut in Round 1 last year, at the age of 18, playing every match. He scored 16 tries and was one of the leading players in the NRL for tackle breaks and line breaks. He continued on in fine form in 2018. With 12 tries, he finished just outside the top 10 wingers in the competition, but still second at the Raiders, behind Joey Leilua (14). He was second in the NRL for tackle breaks (over five per match), just behind James Tedesco, and fourth for line breaks (22).

His best match of the season was in Round 12, the one point victory over the Sea Eagles at Canberra Stadium. It was his only man of the match performance in Fans' Choice voting. He scored two tries, made 11 runs for 88 metres and produced one try assist, two tackle breaks, three line breaks, three tackles and 39 kicking metres.

[greeneyed]

Top five backs of 2018...

Number 2

Jack Wighton



2018 was not the best of years for Canberra Raiders fullback Jack Wighton. That had nothing to do with how he performed on field, rather off field indiscretions that saw him found guilty of assault and suspended by the NRL for the final 10 weeks of the competition. Wighton made just 13 appearances, but when he was on the field, he was one of the Raiders' best. Despite playing just half a season, he finished in the top six players in the Meninga Medal count. He was voted the Raiders best in the Round 4 loss to the Sea Eagles... but his best game of the season came in Round 12, the last gasp win over the Sea Eagles. He scored a try, made 17 runs for 159 metres and produced one try assist, one line break assist, five tackle breaks, three tackles, 52 kicking metres.



He only scored three tries himself, but he was in the top 10 fullbacks for total try involvements per match for the year - on par with Billy Slater and Kalyn Ponga. Remarkably, he produced 11 try assists in half a season, just two fewer than the whole of 2017. That was almost one try assist per match, which was second only to Tom Trbojevic in the NRL. He also produced 15 line break assists, which was top 10 in the NRL - and no fullback in the NRL did better on a per match basis. Wighton's running game was not at the benchmark in the NRL, but with an average of 132 metres gained per match (9.9 metres per run) he was in the game's top 10 fullbacks.

And with Jordan Rapana named in the top five players... we have the top five backs!

Number 1

[greeneyed]

Top five tries of 2018...

Number 5

Round 17 V Bulldogs: Joey Leilua With a little over a minute remaining, Blake Austin makes a huge break to set up the try scoring play, with Joey Leilua on the end of a slick back line move. Match winner! (Video: 3:42 min mark)

[greeneyed]

Top five tries of 2018...

Number 4

Round 5 V Bulldogs: Joey Leilua In the 9th minute, Nick Cotric barely escaped the in goal, and passed to Jordan Rapana... who made a sensational run down the eastern touch line, 80 or 90 metres before being caught. A quick play the ball and Joey Leilua rampaged his way over the line. It was just brilliant attacking play. (Video: 0:25 min mark)

[greeneyed]

Top five tries of 2018...

Number 3

Round 21 V Panthers: Jordan Rapana In the 39th minute. the Panthers were on the attack in the Raiders' red zone, but Villiame Kikau offloaded into the arms of Rapana... and he set out on the most brilliant of runs down the sideline, just staying inside the touch line. What a try! One of the best of the season. (Video: 3:36 min mark)

[greeneyed]

Top five tries of 2018...

Number 2

Round 15 V Tigers: Michael Oldfield There were some great tries for the Green Machine in this match - but none was more spectacular than the four pointer scored by Michael Oldfield in the 70th minute. Elliott Whitehead was outstanding in the lead up, the running and passing was as good as you’ll see. (Video: 6:40 min mark)

[greeneyed]

Top five tries of 2018...

Number 1

Round 12 V Sea Eagles: Jack Wighton With five minutes remaining, Trent Hodkinson was in perfect position to pot a field goal... which would have taken the visitors’ lead out to seven. It would have been a match winning lead - but it sprayed wide of the posts. And then just one minute later, there was some finally some joy for the Green Machine. Jack Wighton to Nick Cotric... Cotric kicked ahead... and Wighton brilliantly backed up for four points. An absolute stunner! (Video: 3:24 min mark)

[greeneyed]

This week, we’re counting down the top five Canberra Raiders tackles/hits of 2018...

Number 5

Round 16 V Broncos: Josh Hodgson and Junior Paulo With two minutes to the half time break at Lang Park, produced a huge hit on Sam Thaiday, dislodging the ball. Surely one of the biggest hits of the year. (Video: 1:25 min mark)

[greeneyed]

Top five Canberra Raiders tackles/hits of 2018...

Number 4

Round 24 V Rabbitohs: Sia Soliola Four minutes into the second half, Blake Austin hoisted the ball high, with Rabbitohs winger Campbell Graham waiting for an age underneath it. And then the second he caught it, the chasing Sia Soliola simply steamrolled him. (Video: 2:15 min mark)

[greeneyed]

Top five tackles/hits of 2018...

Number 3

Round 3 V Warriors: Sia Soliola With 10 minutes remaining, the Warriors trailing 19-12, Roger Tuivasa Sheck broke through the line deep in the New Zealand outfit's half. Sia Soliola somehow pulled off an amazing classic rugby league tackle around the hips and legs to stop a certain try, with the field wide open. Sadly, it would not prove to be enough in the end. (Video: 3:30 min mark)

[greeneyed]

Top five tackles/hits of the year...

Number 2



Round 10 V Sharks: Jack Wighton Despite the loss, there were some very good defensive plays from Jarrod Croker and Elliott Whitehead in the Round 10 clash with the Sharks. But the best came in the 75th minute, when James Segeyaro made a huge break up the middle of the field, but was stopped dead in his tracks by Jack Wighton. An absolute classic. (Video: 6:32 min mark)

[greeneyed]

Top five tackles/hits of the year...

Number 1

Round 25 V Warriors: Joey Leilua Two minutes just before half time, Joey Leilua just absolutely flattened young Warriors half Mason Lino. (Video: 2:12 min mark)

[greeneyed]

Top five moments of 2018...

Number 5

Emre Guler debut: Emre Guler made his debut in Round 23 and he ended up being named the Canberra Raiders Rookie of the Year on Meninga Medal night. The 20 year old looked right at home in his three NRL games. But perhaps the best moment of his debut came off the field, when his mother, Derya, presented him with his first NRL jumper. That day he became Raider 353. Her heart felt, tearful speech touched rugby league fans everywhere.



“First of all I’d like to thank Ricky Stuart and the Raiders club for giving Emre the opportunity to debut for this lovely club,” Derya said.

“I said I wasn’t going to cry but it’s always an emotional time for a mum who can only dream of their kid to debut in first grade. This is one of the greatest moments for my son.”



“Thank you for everybody who has supported my son. Thank you for the people here who have looked after him since coming into the Raiders.

“Thank you to (assistant coach) Brett White for when he joined at the age of 18, under-20s, thank you for supporting him, thank you for guiding him, and thank you so much for accepting him.”