2020. It was a year that arrived with high hopes for Canberra fans. The Raiders were coming off their best season in 25 years. The Raiders had not made the Grand Final for a quarter of a century - and they got "oh so close" to a fourth premiership in 2019. 2020 would surely be the year that their long title drought would be broken? Surely the old adage would apply? That you have to lose a Grand Final to win one.
But the 2020 season turned out to be one like no other in the 113 year history of the game in Australia. Bushfires, a pandemic, a season suspended and, for the Raiders, a huge travel burden and a crippling injury toll. Despite it all, the Raiders finished in fifth place and played in a Preliminary Final, their third in the space of five years. They were in there fighting for a top four finish right up until the final round of the regular season. We've not seen that consistency of performance from Canberra since 1997. It told us a lot about the players who stepped up to fill the breach. It told us a lot about the courage, grit and determination of players and coaches.
So as the New Year starts, what might the 2021 season bring the Green Machine?
Today, we will take a look at retention and recruitment. In future previews, we’ll focus on the rookies, the spine, the forwards, the backs and then give our overall verdict.
The recruits
During his tenure as head coach, Ricky Stuart has transformed the Canberra Raiders. Think back. Not so long ago, the Raiders struggled to attract top line talent. The Raiders focused on growing their own, on junior development, and rarely signed "big names". No players wanted to move to the national capital, the Raiders fans were told, repeatedly. Canberra has no beaches, it has no nightlife, it is boring. And as a result, the Raiders simply didn't have the "cattle" to be a serious premiership contender. So the fans were told.
On his arrival, Stuart adopted a new strategy. He wanted to bring in quality players from outside the club - while still aiming to bring through the best younger players. Implementing that strategy wasn't always smooth sailing. Remember the players who "back flipped" on joining the club? But, bit by bit, the Raiders became a club that players want to join.
After James Tedesco slipped through their fingers back in 2014, the club looked further afield - to NRL players looking for an opportunity, to a former NRL player like Sia Soliola, to English players like Josh Hodgson and Elliott Whitehead. The recruitment department was boosted at the end of 2015 by the arrival of football veteran Peter Mulholland. Successful seasons on the field have obviously helped to make the club an attractive destination. But Mulholland often says that the reputation of the head coach as a man manager is a significant factor in changing perceptions of the club amongst players.
Over time, the Raiders have also become more astute in managing the salary cap. In the past the club has tied up a good part of its cap in some big name forwards and outside backs. But the club has been taking deliberate steps to change that - placing limits on how much they are prepared to spend on those positions, creating more cap space for the play makers. It is what teams like the Storm and the Roosters do. In recent years, the Raiders declined to match big money on offer from other clubs for props Junior Paulo and Shannon Boyd. The club decided to release centre Joey Leilua early.
We saw more decisions like that last year. The Raiders declined to match the Bulldogs' offer to winger Nick Cotric last July. Cotric was a local junior and aged just 22. He represented the Blues and Kangaroos from the club. It must have hurt to let him go to Canterbury. But clearly, the Raiders were not prepared to spend too much of their cap on the wing position.
At the end of June, after a long and messy contract saga, the Raiders put a time limit on a decision regarding John Bateman's future - and the Raiders then proceeded to release him from his contract a year early. Ricky Stuart was disappointed to lose the star second rower, but the coach was blunt in his assessment of Bateman's manager. Stuart said a fair deal had been offered and he signaled that Canberra is not going to be a club that will be easily messed around.
"I feel the NRL need to help clubs in regards to how we have to deal with certain managers over the way they agitate clubs and manipulate communications and negotiations," Stuart said.
"But I'm glad the club took a stand in wanting to get a decision. The last thing we are going to be is a club such as the Broncos or Warriors where they've been ruined by agitation and manipulation of the roster."
Bateman and Cotric head the list of the Raiders' losses for the upcoming season. But what of the 2021 new recruits?
Ryan James
Ryan James is the Raiders' biggest name recruit for 2021, after he signed a two year deal last July. The former Gold Coast Titans captain spent a decade with the team from the glitter strip, debuting in 2010 and going on to make 144 appearances in first grade. He started 28 games for the Titans in the second row, but he's predominantly a prop - starting in the front row in 75 matches. 2015 was the last year that he played mostly on the edge.
James was born in Tweed Heads, playing his junior football with Bilambil Jets. He represented Palm Beach Currumbin in 2008 when they won the ARL Schoolboys Cup - with James awarded the Peter Sterling Medal for the player of the year. He went on to represent Queensland and Australian Schoolboys. While he's been in the running for Blues Origin selection at times, his highest senior representative honours have been the Indigenous All Stars (five games between 2011-17) and NSW Country (two games in 2013 and 2015). He scored a total of 30 tries at the Titans, 12 of them in 2016 - that year matching the record number of tries for a prop in one season.
James played only six matches in 2019, due to an ACL injury to his right knee in the Round 6 clash with the Newcastle Knights. He then missed the entire 2020 season, after a recurrence of the injury in preseason training. He reportedly took a significant pay cut to make a new start with the Raiders. The chance of lining up with a premiership contender and to be coached by Ricky Stuart were significant factors.
"The players always seem like they want to play for him [Stuart]. He's a great genuine bloke and he does great things for that club," James said.
"I've never really been super selfish in my career and I've always wanted to help the Titans and rebuilds take a couple of years. As much as I know they'll do really well next year, Canberra have got a really great squad and I have the opportunity to go down there and play some solid football with a team that's well established and has a good core group of players."
"I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to go down there and try and make that starting team. That's the new goal now, get ready, get fit, get down there and try and rip in."
Signing James is a risk worth taking for the Green Machine. He looked to be in great shape on the eve of his arrival in the nation's capital, and if he can stay on the field, he should be a valuable asset for the squad.
Corey Harawira-Naera
Corey Harawira-Naera joined the Canberra Raiders mid-season last year, so he's not really a "new" signing for 2021. But he was signed by the Green Machine with an eye to filling the void left by John Bateman.
CHN had a controversy filled start to 2020 with Canterbury. He and Jayden Okunbor had their contracts terminated by the Bulldogs, and they were deregistered by the NRL, due to off field incidents during a pre season trip to Port Macquarie. In July, the NRL Appeals Tribunal determined that the contract terminations were too harsh and should be reversed - with Harawira-Naera handed a 10 game suspension and $15,000 fine instead. Harawira-Naera, however, refused to return to the Bulldogs - and signed a two and a half year deal with the Raiders last July. He was grateful to have an opportunity with a strong club.
"To be given a second chance by a really good club that's played in the NRL grand final last year, that sort of got me going," he said, back in August.
"Once I heard from my manager that Canberra could be keen on me I was just like, 'Oh whoah'. The second chance in itself I think that's enough to give back to the club."
CHN has previously played 46 games for the Panthers in 2017-18 and 21 games for the Bulldogs in 2019. He can play in the middle, but he's at his best on the edge. He can be a real attacking weapon - as Raiders fans will well recall when he scored one of two late tries in Canberra's infamous last gasp loss to Penrith at Bathurst in 2017. He made his debut in green in the Round 12 win over the Cowboys in Townsville, and went on to make 11 appearances for Canberra last season. He provided a good injection of enthusiasm at a tough time, due to injuries amongst the Raiders pack.
Harawira-Naera only averaged about 30 minutes per match, and it took some time for him to get back to match fitness on his return to the NRL. His attack is his relative strength, but given his low minutes, he was well down the list of Raiders forwards for total try involvements and average running metres per game in 2020. However, he was still ahead of Elliott Whitehead for average running metres. On a per game basis, he ranked fourth for line breaks and offloads and sixth for tackle breaks amongst the Canberra forwards. He was one of three Raiders forwards to manage a forced line drop out.
Harawira-Naera had the lowest average tackle count per match and the lowest tackle efficiency rate amongst the Raiders' forwards last year. He also produced three try causes, second only to Elliott Whitehead (10) amongst the Raiders forwards.
CHN isn't a walk up starter in the second row in 2021 in my view. He will be in a battle for the No. 11 jersey with Hudson Young. Most fans are expecting CHN will win that contest. He will doubtless benefit from having a full pre-season this year. But it will be interesting to see which way Coach Stuart jumps.
Caleb Aekins
Caleb Aekins, 23, has been recruited to the Raiders from the Penrith Panthers on a one year deal - so he will be keen to make an impression in 2021. He was born in Otaika, New Zealand, close to the city of Whangārei in the country's far north. He played both rugby league and union as a junior, before moving to Australia in 2015.
Aekins made his NRL debut for the Panthers in Round 18 2018, against the Cronulla Sharks and has played 12 first grade games - eight of them in 2020. He didn't cross the white stripe last year - he's yet to score an NRL try - but posted one try assist and 10 tackle breaks. He made 134 running metres and 64 kick return metres per match, while he produced a tackle efficiency rate was 78 per cent and four try causes.
Ricky Stuart has said that he was disappointed in aspects of the play of his back five in 2020 - and he's keen for there to be strong competition for spots. That includes fullback. For mine, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has a lock on the No. 1 jersey, but Aekins provides some good depth and will keep the pressure on CNK.
Harry Rushton
Harry Rushton is the latest in what is now a long list of English players to join the Green Machine. Rushton is just 19, but has immediately joined the Raiders' top 30 squad. He made his Super League debut - in the second row - for the Wigan Warriors against St Helens last year. That was his only appearance in the top league. There was some question as to whether Rushton would be able to join Canberra this year, as planned, given COVID restrictions on international travel. But he was able to get a flight and, after quarantining in Sydney, arrived in Canberra just prior to Christmas. Rushton was born in Blackpool and played amateur rugby league with the Shevington Sharks, at Wigan. He stands at 190 cms and weighs in at 98 kgs. That's pretty imposing for a 19 year old.
The Raiders have signed former Sea Eagles back Albert Hopoate - to an Under 21s contract it appears, at least at this stage. Centre Sebastian Kris is off contract and is currently on a train and trial deal. After missing last season with Canberra for personal reasons, Kris is reportedly tearing it up on the training field. The Raiders have also signed Queensland back Elijah Anderson - again, it appears, to a lower tier contract. All three will no doubt be competing hard for the 30th spot in Canberra's top squad.
Meanwhile prop Trey Mooney, winger Xavier Savage and second rower Clay Webb are new additions to the Raiders six man development list.
We'll take a look at some of those players in the next installment of our 2021 season preview: The Rookies.
Gains: Caleb Aekins (Penrith Panthers, 2021), Ryan James (Gold Coast Titans, 2022), Harry Rushton (Wigan Warriors, 2023)
Losses: John Bateman (Wigan Warriors), Luke Bateman (released), JJ Collins (released), Nick Cotric (Canterbury Bulldogs), Andre Niko (released), Michael Oldfield (Parramatta Eels)
Re-signed: Jarrod Croker (2024), Josh Papalii (2025), Jordan Rapana (2021), Iosia Soliola (2021), Tom Starling (2022), Jack Wighton (2024)
2021 top 30 squad: Caleb Aekins, Adam Cook, Jarrod Croker, Matt Frawley, Emre Guler, Corey Harawira-Naera, Siliva Havili, Josh Hodgson, Corey Horsburgh, Ryan James, Dunamis Lui, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Josh Papalii, Jordan Rapana, Harry Rushton, Curtis Scott, Bailey Simonsson, Harley Smith-Shields, Sia Soliola, Tom Starling, Ryan Sutton, Joe Tapine, Matt Timoko, Semi Valemei, Elliott Whitehead, Jack Wighton, George Williams, Sam Williams, Hudson Young
2021 development players: Ata Mariota, Darby Medlyn, Trey Mooney, Kai O’Donnell, Xavier Savage, Clay Webb
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION RATING: B+. Retention has been strong, while recruitment has been fairly modest. There was not that much room for new recruits really. The squad is absolutely stacked in the forwards, and Ricky Stuart will find it difficult to work out which forwards miss the top 17. However, the depth looks a little thin in the outside backs. Hopefully, up and coming players like Harley Smith-Shields and Matt Timoko step up and put some pressure on the more established players.
