It has been 10 years since The Greenhouse voted on the Canberra Raiders Team of the Decade - for the 2000s. Back in 2009, Adam Mogg and Joel Monaghan were voted Canberra Raiders Centres of the 2000s. Now it is time to vote on the Centres of the 2010s!
Here are the nominees:
Jarrod Croker
Jarrod Croker has made 257 appearances for the Canberra Raiders, the second most capped player in club history. He debuted on the wing in Round 2 of 2009 against the Roosters, but he has played at centre in every subsequent first grade match. He holds the club record for most tries (127), most goals (744) and most points (1996). He also holds the club record for most points in a season (295 in 2016). He won the Meninga Medal in 2014, and has twice been named the Fans' Choice Player of the Year (2013, 2014). He was named club captain prior to the commencement of the 2015 season, sharing the duties with Josh Hodgson from 2019. He is a Canberra Raiders junior from Goulburn - and was part of the premiership winning National Youth Competition in 2008. He was an Australian Schoolboys and NSW U18s representative. At senior level, he has represented NSW Country, the Prime Minister's XIII and the All Stars. Croker was named Dally M Captain of the Year and Provan Summons Medalist in 2016. He has played in nine finals matches for Canberra (2010, 2012, 2016, 2019), culminating in the 2019 Grand Final.
Joel Thompson
Joel Thompson made 89 appearances for the Raiders at NRL level, 41 of them at centre. He made his NRL debut in Round 26 of 2008, against the Bulldogs. He played 79 games in the 2010s, 40 at centre, mostly during the 2010-11. He predominantly played in the back row in his final two seasons with the Green Machine, departing for the St George Illawarra Dragons at the end of 2013. He scored 28 tries, for a total . He made two finals appearances for Canberra, in 2012, in the second row. He represented NSW Country and the Indigenous All Stars while with the Raiders.
Jack Wighton
Jack Wighton debuted on the wing in 2012 and played in the outside backs for his first two seasons in first grade. He has played 21 of his 156 matches at centre - but is much better known as a fullback and five eighth. He was tried at five eighth at the start of 2014 and played the first nine games of the season in the No. 6. However, that was not a successful move and he shifted back to centre in Round 10. He moved to fullback for the first time in Round 24 in 2014 and became the regular fullback in 2015. He played 85 of his 156 matches with the Raiders at fullback, before successfully shifting to five eighth in 2019. In that year, he helped the club qualify for the its first grand final in 25 years - and he was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for the best on field in the premiership decider. He also broke into the New South Wales Blues and Australian Kangaroos teams in 2019 - at centre. Wighton has scored seven tries at centre for Canberra.
Blake Ferguson
Blake Ferguson played 60 games for the Canberra Raiders after joining the club from the Cronulla Sharks in 2011. While he is mostly recognised as a winger, he played 27 of his matches in green at centre. He scored a total of 36 tries and 14 goals for Canberra - with 22 of those tries and all 14 goals scored at centre. He was the club's top try scorer in both 2011 and 2013. He represented the Indigenous All Stars, NSW Country and the NSW Blues while at the Raiders. He left the club in controversial circumstances, charged with indecent assault after his Origin debut, and then walking out on his contract at the end of 2013. He played two finals matches for Canberra at centre in 2012.
Joseph Leilua
Joseph "Joey" Leilua joined the Canberra Raiders mid-season from the Newcastle Knights in 2015 - and became Jarrod Croker's regular centre partner. He debuted for the Raiders in Round 16 against the Warriors on the bench, going on to play 91 games in green to date. He has played all but two of those matches at centre. He was forced at the last second, to start on the bench in the 2019 Week 1 finals match against the Storm, after debris from fireworks lodged in his eye. He has made six finals appearances for Canberra, in 2016 and 2019 - including the 2019 Grand Final. He has scored 39 tries for a total of 156 points for the Green Machine. His partnership with winger Jordan Rapana became known as "Leipana", becoming the most dangerous attacking edge in the NRL in 2016.
You have TWO votes in this poll. You may change your vote.
See the list of all the Canberra Raiders players of the 2010s... and the results of the polls as they unfold: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=33793
