2015 Raider Issue 3

ISSUE 3 | AUG 2015

RICKY’S

REPORT CPAAGER4D

THE ODD COUPLE BOYD &

VAUGHAN

STRENGTH

IN NUMBERS

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ISSUE 3 | AUG 2015

WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CLUB’S ODD COUPLE, AS WE CHAT WITH SHANNON BOYD AND PAUL VAUGHAN. RICKY STUART GIVES FANS AN INSIGHT INTO HOW THE TEAM HAS PERFORMED SO FAR IN 2015 WITH HIS MID-SEASON SUMMARY. WE FIND OUT HOW THE CLUB’S JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS FINISHED THEIR SEASONS. PLUS WE CATCH-UP WITH THE NYC AND MOUNTIES COACHES, SEE WHERE THE RAIDERS ARE HEADING AT A JUNIOR LEVEL AND FIND OUT WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON WITH A LOOK AT THE RUN HOME.

Edrick wears the 2015 Raiders Heritage jersey from ISC Sport.

Available at RaidersShop.com.au or in-store at Jerseys Megastore.

$159 Adults

ISSUE 3 | AUG 2015

RICKY’S REPORT CARD WITH THE CANBERRA RAIDERS APPROACHING THE BUSINESS END OF THE SEASON, COACH RICKY STUART HAS BROKEN DOWN THE FACETS OF THE SIDE AS THE GREEN MACHINE MAKES ITS CHARGE TOWARDS THE SEMI-FINALS.

Josh Hodgson, a positional switch by Jack Wighton and a halfback battle between Sam Williams and Mitch Cornish. With the spine of Wighton, Austin, Williams and Hodgson now settled and performing consistently well, the Raiders attack has fluency, potency and features an impressively high completion rate.

What Stuart believes has assisted the spine is the experience of the players around them.

“We’re putting in as much time in defence as we are with our attack because we won’t win big games without a solid defensive structure or if individuals are missing crucial tackles.”

As he has done since his debut back in 2009, Shaun Fensom has continued his herculean efforts in the middle. Fensom is placed in the top five for total tackles in the competition after averaging 44 tackles per game.

“Everybody talks about the spine but there’s much more to our structure than that –our middle unit players and our back-rowers do a hell of a lot to make our structure what it is. Everybody is doing their job.”

The icing on the cake for the Raiders attack of course is the superb goal kicking of Captain Jarrod Croker, who is the also the competition’s leading point scorer.

“It’s a great asset to have a goal kicker who’s kicking at 80-90 percent – I never, ever take it for granted.”

FORWARDS

ATTACK The Raiders have been lauded far and wide as one of the most exciting teams in the competition due to the confident, free-spirited and enterprising attacking play demonstrated by the side’s personnel.

Statistically, the Raiders are the second best attacking team in the competition behind the ladder-leading Brisbane Broncos, having scored the second highest amount of tries in the NRL. “I’m really happy with how our team has adopted to the style and the shape of our attack because it is giving us opportunities to win games,” Ricky Stuart said.

Canberra went into the season with a new-look spine comprising of new recruits Blake Austin and

The development of the club’s talented crop of young forwards of the ilk of Shannon Boyd, Jarrad Kennedy and Paul Vaughan have all been enhanced by the recruitment of experienced internationals such as Sia Soliola and Frank-Paul Nuuausala.

Unfortunately, the Raiders are ranked at the opposite end of the spectrum in regards to their defence and Stuart has identified improvement in this area as a priority.

“Our forwards are playing a massive role in regards to where we are as a team at the moment.

Defensively, their statistics have been the best in the team. We need them to continue their consistency up front to push forward our claims at the end of the year.”

“We have to enjoy our defence as much as our attack. We’re working hard on our defence.

[The poor defensive record] doesn’t come down to our structure or strategy it comes down to the individual.

Whilst the likes of Boyd, Vaughan and Shillington have been tremendous in providing the necessary go-forward up front, back-rowers Soliola and Josh Papalii have been eye-catchingly impressive on their respective edges.

DEFENCE

STORY BY SIMON MCGUINNESS | 5

“I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE HAVEN’T ACHIEVED ANYTHING YET AND THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD TO MAKE YOU, OUR LOYAL MEMBERS AND FANS PROUD.” Papalii in particular has been sensational over the last couple of months with eight vital tries and several memorable bone-rattling tackles such as the shot on Josh Maguire which shook the foundations of GIO Stadium.

The hooking rotation of Hodgson and livewire Kurt Baptiste has also been an effective element of Canberra’s forward pack.

“Our two hookers have been doing a great job.

Josh has handled the NRL well from the outset and Kurt adds spark when he enters the field. It doesn’t surprise me with what they’re doing at the moment because I see the extras that they do outside of training.”

Williams’ tactical nous and organisational ability, Austin has been arguably the form player of the NRL. The dashing pivot has scored 13 entertaining tries and broken the line on 15 occasions so far in 2015. Austin is the side’s leading try scorer, and altogether the Raiders backline as a unit has scored 69% of the side’s total tries.

Whilst Stuart lauds his backline’s attacking ability, he is also quick to assert that they need to amend their defensive frailty.

“Attacking wise we are lucky to have such exciting players throughout the backline however our outside backs have got to be better defensively because that’s where we’re conceding the most tries.”

LEADERSHIP Outside of the organisation, several pundits were curious as to how Croker would handle the mantle of captaincy in his first year at just 25 years of age.

Those murmurs have since been quashed.

Since the start of pre-season and throughout the season thus far, Croker has led from the front foot both on and off the field and has been a focal point of the transformation in culture under the guidance of Stuart.

BACKS Any team that ranks in the top echelon of attacking teams in the NRL must possess dazzling attacking talents in the backline and the Raiders are no exception.

In the outside backs, the Raiders are bristling with the try scoring and line breaking talents of Wighton, Croker, Lee, Waqa, and Rapana, whilst also listing the mid-season acquisition of wrecking ball centre Joseph Leilua.

Orchestrating the side’s play is the cool head of Williams whose tactical kicking game and game management belies his years. On the back of

“For a young Captain, he’s got a very mature style of leadership, he’s a very genuine bloke. He is very well liked by everybody in the club. His leadership comes from the fact that he cares about the club; he’s a passionate Canberra Raiders person.”

Assisting Croker in his first year of leadership is his right hand man Fensom, who in fact captained Croker in the 2008 Under 20’s premiership winning team, and respectable duo Soliola and Hodgson, whose leadership is held in high esteem internationally throughout the rugby league world.

“I think that Sia, Josh and Fenno have been very influential around Toots and that has really assisted him in the early part of his leadership.

The club’s future is in good hands.”

DEPTH Fortunately, the club’s depth hasn’t really been tested this year due to the lack of injuries faced by the club, and that is testament to the outstanding work undertaken by the Raiders High Performance team.

Nonetheless, there are certainly several players who are knocking loudly on the door of selection in the NRL. Mounties, the club’s feeder side in the VB NSW Cup, is firmly entrenched in the top four and if they keep on track will be in contention for premiership honours.

Canberra’s Holden Cup team is also in the top eight and possess several of the competition’s most exciting players.

“A part of a successful club is competition for spots. The reason why we’re so competitive at the NRL level is because we’re so competitive at training, which in turn creates more depth. It’s a whole of club of approach.

“Stephen Antonelli has done a wonderful job with Mounties as has Mick Mantelli with the Holden Cup. There are a lot of players in the club’s lower grades that fans can get excited about if they keep making the right choices and keep committed to their goal of playing in the NRL for the Raiders.

“We need them competing for spots for the future success of this great club.”

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ISSUE 3 | AUG 2015 | STORIES BY SIMON MCGUINNESS

MOUNTIES: ON TRACK FOR SEMIS MOUNTIES HAS PROVEN TO BE ONE OF THE LEADING TEAMS IN THE VB NSW CUP IN 2015, IN WHAT IS A TESTAMENT TO THE ENVIABLE DEPTH THAT THE CANBERRA RAIDERS POSSESS. The talented outfit has been a staple figure of the top four on the VB NSW Cup ladder all year and in fact led the table for the first 10 rounds of the competition following their seven match winning streak to start the season.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the year,” Antonelli said frankly. “We had no injuries, we were consistent and we gelled together really early. We really put other teams on notice.

“Unfortunately we’ve levelled off and other teams have improved. In saying that though, we’d much rather have our lull in the season now because there’s still plenty of time left to improve before the finals.”

After 17 Rounds, Mounties is currently situated at third place on the ladder and with the best attacking record in the competition.

Along the way, several players have received state recognition after Mitch Barnett, Mitch Cornish and Mark Nicholls were all selected in the NSW Cup representative team for the annual clash with the Queensland Residents side.

Antonelli believes that if his side stays on their current course and improves on a few minor areas of their play, then they should be well in contention to challenge for the title at end of the year – although that is a long way off from their current mindset.

“As a group we are hungry to achieve and we are confident of giving this competition a real shake up at the end of the year,” Antonelli said. “We’re not getting ahead of ourselves at the moment, but we plan on finishing in the top four. From there, we have the confidence in ourselves that we can go all the way.”

The partnership between the Raiders and Mounties has proven to be a tremendous success and greatly improving Mounties’ fortunes this year has been the full-time addition of Antonelli to Raiders HQ. “Having Steve Antonelli full-time in Canberra has created a lot more spirit amongst the whole squad because when we separate into first and second grade there is still a club environment, rather than players feeling like extras,” Ricky Stuart said.

“He’s a smart and passionate Coach and his guidance with our NSW Cup players is creating plenty of pressure on the first graders which in turn creates a successful club culture.”

“Basically, my goal is to get these players through to the NRL and if we win it’s a bonus,” Antonelli added.

“Luckily, we’ve had quite a few bonuses so far this year and plenty more to come.”

HOLDEN CUP: FUTURE IS EXCITING SUCCESS IN THE HOLDEN CUP IS AN UNUSUAL PARADOX BETWEEN ENSURING THAT DEVELOPMENT OF THE CLUB’S YOUNG PLAYERS IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE AND KEEPING THE VICTORIES TICKING ALONG NICELY.

“We’re going along fairly well at the moment and I’m proud of the boys’ efforts so far,” Mantelli said. “The role for the coaching staff here in the Under 20’s is to develop first and win second and I’m very pleased that every individual in the squad has come a long way from where they were at the start of the year.

An ambitious young squad blessed with prodigious talents, the Raiders are placed in the latter half of the top eight and ranked as the fourth best attacking team in the competition.

“We’ve got a young squad this year compared to the other teams in the competition but we’ve still managed to win more games than we’ve lost. We’re coming into the stage of the year now though where although we’re still focused on development, we will start to focus more on winning now leading into the semi-finals. Our aim is to make the semi-finals and progress from there”

Sure there is plenty of improvement left within the team, but what most pleases Coach Mick Mantelli most is that every player in the squad has developed considerably over the course of the season compared to where they were when they started in pre-season.

Leading the way forward in 2015 has been the experienced trio of Captain Luke Bateman, damaging front-rower Tevita Pangai Junior and attacking centre Brenko Lee, whilst Mantelli also nominated players such as Chevi Ellis and Jack Williams as big improvers.

With this notion in mind, the Raiders Holden Cup side is travelling along well.

Bateman has been particularly impressive with the 19 year old making his NRL debut earlier this year and gaining selection in the Queensland Under 20’s side for the second consecutive year.

“We’re fortunate to have a captain like Luke Bateman,” Mantelli said. “I felt for him when he missed out on the Junior Kangaroos because I honestly thought that he was a walk up start.

He is a definite long term first grader.”

Unfortunately, the fluency and potency of the Green Machine’s attack took a hit when promising halfback Lachlan Croker’s season prematurely ended with a serious shoulder injury.

Croker’s absence cost the Raiders several close encounters however the team has since recovered with silky-skilled five-eighth Lachlan Lewis taking on greater responsibility.

STRONG SEASONS FOR RAIDERS JUNIORS

THE RAIDERS JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVE SEASONS HAVE DRAWN TO A CLOSE FOR 2015, WITH SOME ENCOURAGING SIGNS COMING BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD FROM THE LATEST BATCH OF RAIDERS HOPEFULS. The club has a long and healthy tradition in developing junior talent and both the Harold Matthews (Under 16’s) and SG Ball (Under 18’s) had very promising seasons in the minds of their coaches.

“Development is really the only aspect at this level and it’s about getting guys ready for their rugby league journey,” emphasises SG Ball Coach Dean Souter. “We want the players involved at this level to understand and buy into the pathway of commitment, hard work and sacrifice. The journey isn’t easy and if it was everyone would make it, but with the right mindset and buy in, the players get what they need to go to the next level.”

The SG Ball team finished on top of the ladder at the end of the regular season but failed to win a finals game. However, Souter believes the end game is still the same regardless of the final standings at seasons end.

“As a group we set standards we wanted to guide us, these guys not only lived up to them but they enforced them too,” he said. “The group selfregulated a lot of the time which enabled us to maintain a high standard and quality throughout the year. Our goal was to develop fine athletes and good young men in a quality junior system and we believe this was achieved.”

Highlights were plentiful for the SG Ball team and Souter said the squad impressed at all levels.

“For me as a coach it was a pleasure to work with one of the finest groups of people I have ever been associated with at any level of sport. These guys were hard working, committed, self-driven and most of all these guys were happy,” he said. “This group of players loved being part of this system, they really bonded.”

Individually there were a number of brilliant performances over the course of the season which was reflected in the Players Player awards for the team, with Kalani Going and Nic Cotric taking out a joint award for the team’s best in 2015.

For Cotric it continued his wonderful junior representative career as he claimed the award for the third straight season (twice named Harold Matthews players player), while Going was rewarded for his consistency.

“Kalani Going demonstrated extraordinary leadership skills during the season and that stood out to me, he would bring the boys together in a huddle and they would sing after every training session,” Souter said. “Kalani and Nic shared the honour of players player, they were the most consistent performers for us throughout the season and deserved it.”

The Harold Matthews cup team missed the finals narrowly on for and against, but their Co-Coach Adam Kyle echoed Souter’s comments on what he saw from his squad in season 2015.

“We are in a really lucky position coaching the Harold Matthews team as our goals from day one are to ensure the players get the best on field and off field education,” Kyle said. “We are not results

7

based but player based. With this philosophy in the players and coaching staffs minds it makes our job really exciting.”

The results the team achieved on the field were very credible as the team made a late season surge to finish ninth and Kyle said the team endured a really strong learning experience which will help them in the future.

“We had a fantastic season. Looking at the draw during pre-season we thought we would get a really tough contest each week. We started the season with a tough away game against Penrith and were only just beaten.” Kyle said. “It took until round three against the Roosters before we registered our first win of the season, but each week the boys kept putting in and we finished stronger than we started.”

Individually the team produced a number of players who look certain to feature in the Raiders SG Ball and NYC programs in the future, with fullback Sebastian Kris named Players Player.”

“Sebastian Kris was a real stand out player this season,” Kyle said. “In his second season at this level we expected a lot from him, and he delivered in bunches. Being a really dominant player for us on and off the field which led to his selection for the indigenous u16 all-stars camp, NSW u16 State of Origin and making his debut for Canberra Raiders SG Ball.”

Players from both teams will now face differing pathways as they look to achieve at the next level, with Kalani Going and Sione Afemui already progressing to the NYC team, while a number of players will return to their junior clubs to continue working on their games ahead of the 2016 season.

ISSUE 3 | AUG 2015 | STORY BY SIMON MCGUINNESS

RAIDERS REMAIN COMMUNITY CLUB THE CANBERRA RAIDERS HAVE CONTINUED TO BE ONE OF THE LEADERS IN THE RUGBY LEAGUE AND CANBERRA COMMUNITY, WITH A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES ALREADY HAPPENING IN 2015 WHICH HAS HELPED RAISED THE PROFILE AND VALUABLE DONATIONS FOR SEVERAL CHARITY AND COMMUNITY GROUPS. Together with the club’s Major Sponsor Huawei, the Raiders were able to raise $10,000 for the NRL’s Kick Bowel Cancer Campaign and valuable awareness for Tour de Cure, an organisation that helps raise money for all types of Cancer research.

The Green Machine wore a specially designed jersey against the Bulldogs in round 11 this season and held an online auction through sponsor allbids.com.au to help raise the money.

This was off the back of another special jersey the club wore in round eight during the historic ANZAC round of the NRL, where the Raiders helped raise a further $18,000 which was split between charities Soldier On, Canberra Legacy and the Woden Valley RSL Sub-Branch.

Aside from these two wonderful initiatives the Raiders have been involved in a myriad of community appearances to assist with a number of charities and community initiatives, including Give me Five for Kids, Sammie’s 24 hour walk for Autism, and Ronald McDonald House.

The Raiders were the only NRL club to host a trial match in regional NSW at the start of the season when they played the Melbourne Storm in Griffith, with the club spending time visiting the region in the lead up to the match and were actively involved in a number of appearances in Albury when they played the Sea Eagles in round five.

As a proud contributor in the community the Raiders will look to increase their involvement into the future and remain committed to being a club that continually looks to reinvest in their community.

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ISSUE 3 | AUG 2015 | STORIES BY SIMON MCGUINNESS

CANBERRA RAIDERS CUP

AS WE APPROACH THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON, THE TTM CANBERRA RAIDERS CUP HAS AGAIN PROVEN TO CAPTIVATE THE LOCAL RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY WITH ITS ANNUAL HIGH STANDARD AND STEADILY INCREASING INFLUX OF FORMER NRL PLAYERS.

The talent, experience and profile provided by the aforementioned former NRL players certainly heightens the strength of the local competition – as evidenced by the success of the Canberra Region representative team at the recent Country Championships – but their presence also does wonders for the development of the next crop of up and coming youngsters.

The public of the ACT and surrounding regions have the privilege of travelling the short distance to their local sporting precinct to witness the talents of up to nine former NRL stars that play in the Canberra first grade competition, along with the very best local players.

“We’re extremely proud of how the Simon Woolford Coached-Canberra Region representative team has gone at the recent Country Championships. It’s terrific to see and it gives the local community something to get behind. The Raiders will always be the pride and joy of the region but this team underpins the strength of the local competition.

The nine players include Michael Bani, Joe and Mick Picker (Goulburn Workers Bulldogs), David Howell and Lincoln Withers (Gungahlin Bulls), Aaron Gorrell (Queanbeyan Kangaroos), Marc Herbert and Trevor Thurling (Queanbeyan Blues) and Michael Robertson (Tuggeranong Bushrangers).

The contribution of former NRL players is not just restricted on the field either with the likes of Aaron Gorrell (Captain-Coach Queanbeyan Kangaroos), Jason Croker and Troy Thompson (Gungahlin Bulls), and Simon Woolford (Queanbeyan Blues) taking on the coaching reigns at their respective clubs.

“The TTM Canberra Raiders Cup is in fantastic shape and the talent of the players is demonstrated through the Canberra Region representative team making it through to the final of the Country Championships,” said newly appointed Canberra Region and Community Rugby League General Manager Mark Vergano said.

“It’s great that so many ex-Raiders and ex-NRL players are coming back to the competition.

It’s fantastic for the standard of the competition but it’s also servicing the next batch of up and coming players. For kids to have the opportunity to play with guys like Lincoln Withers and David Howell and being coached by people like Simon Woolford is a fantastic life experience and a great developmental experience.

“Going back to your local first grade competitions contributes enormously to grass roots sport and gives kids in the area something to aspire to.

That’s what we’re lucky enough to have here in this competition at the moment.”

“It’s been awesome for my game not only to learn from a guy like Simon Woolford but to be able to play alongside Marc Herbert and Trevor Thurling on a weekly basis,” said 21 year old Queanbeyan Blues and Canberra Region winger Jake Wheeler.

“I used to watch them play on TV so it’s a bit surreal to be now playing alongside them.”

After 13 years as CEO of ACT Cricket, Vergano has grand plans for not only the grass roots of rugby league in Canberra and surrounding regions, but for the TTM Canberra Raiders Cup. “What I’d love to do is to make this competition the best acknowledged competition in Australia outside of say the NRL, NSW Cup or QLD Cup,” Vergano said with passion.

“We’ve got priorities to put in place but we’ve also got some ambitions bring the competition up another couple of levels and that includes strengthening the existing clubs and also having more teams being able to compete at the top level such as the Yass Magpies.”

As it stands, last year’s premiers the Queanbeyan Blues, coached by Woolford, are on track to secure back-to-back Minor Premierships. Whilst the Blues are the clear favourites at this stage, there are several teams nipping fiercely at their heels, most notably Goulburn Workers Bulldogs, West Belconnen Warriors and cross-town rivals the Queanbeyan Kangaroos.

The date of the 2015 TTM Canberra Raiders Cup Grand Final is on the 6th of September.

JUNIOR PARTICIPATION

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THE STATE OF JUNIOR RUGBY LEAGUE IN CANBERRA AND ITS SURROUNDING REGIONS IS SET TO RECEIVE A SIGNIFICANT BOOST WITH THE RECENT APPOINTMENT OF MARK VERGANO AS THE CANBERRA REGION AND COMMUNITY RUGBY LEAGUE GENERAL MANAGER. Vergano comes into the crucial role after being the CEO of Cricket ACT for the past 13 years.

During his time in his previous role, cricket in the ACT flourished significantly with junior participation increasing by a whopping 400%.

“I grew up around rugby league in Sydney so this role is a great opportunity to be able to contribute to a sport that I have a real passion for,” Vergano said. “I feel very blessed to be able to work in rugby league and can’t wait to contribute to the sport and to the Canberra community.

Vergano believes that the Canberra District Rugby League competition – the junior system that produced the likes of Jarrod Croker, Mitch Cornish, Paul Vaughan and Sam Williams – does not need a major overhaul, but is in need of some polish and tinkering in certain areas.

Those areas predominantly focus on strengthening existing clubs, increasing junior numbers as a whole and increasing the participation of females across all levels of the game.

“Junior participation is healthy, but like always we’re aiming to continue to grow and our aim is for substantial growth,” Vergano said. “There is also a great club structure here in Canberra that provides the grass roots foundations which give vast opportunities to young people in the region.

to achieve our ambitions. We need to run the competitions in a very collaborative manner.”

“But there is room to improve.

“Like most sports, rugby league is perceived as being male dominated and that’s just historically the way it’s been, but we’re looking to change that.

Females make up 52% of the population and we’ve got around 25% engagement but only 5 or 6% participation across the board. That’s similar to all top sports but we want to be a leader in this field.

“We want rugby league to be the best value for money sport in the Canberra region and we aim to continue to work hard to ensure that rugby league is the sport of choice at every level and have it being at the forefront in the hearts and minds of everybody in the region.”

Vergano intends to employ a collaborative approach with the local clubs, schools and affiliates to ensure that each issue is addressed in the most effective manner.

“I plan on getting out to all of the local clubs to gather their input on how best to improve the game as a whole. Each club needs to be financially healthy and well-resourced for us as a game

TOUCH FOOTBALL ACT CLOSER TO RAIDERS WITH THE NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH TOUCH FOOTBALL AUSTRALIA AND THE NRL, THE RAIDERS AND TOUCH FOOTBALL ACT HAVE USED THE ALLIANCE TO BECOME A CLOSER ENTITY, INCLUDING THE REBRANDING OF THE ACT TOUCH REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS AS THE ACT RAIDERS. WE SIT DOWN WITH TOUCH FOOTBALL ACT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER ROD WISE TO DISCUSS THE EXCITING PARTNERSHIP. How has ACT touch found the new alliance with the NRL? Touch Football ACT has found the new alliance with the NRL very positive and mutually beneficial on several levels. The extension of the partnership to NRL clubs and within our region, the Canberra Raiders has been fantastic on a number of fronts; particularly shared calendars, joint activation programs and cross-pollination of ideas and programs. The communication between both entities has been great too with a great sense of opportunity and cohesion on all the initiatives and activities to date.

How has ACT Touch collaborated with the Raiders since the new partnership began?

As highlighted, the basis and spirit of the relationship is all about collaboration; this is now extending to infrastructure and facilities’ planning in the region, transitional recruitment and branding. We have regular meetings with Raiders staff on a range of fronts including the regular promotions of linkages with cross-code competitions and events, ensuring calendars don’t clash and sharing resources and approaches.

Of all of the above issues, Vergano is noticeably passionate about increasing the participation of females across all levels, as he did so effectively with Cricket ACT.

“Female participation doesn’t have to just be on the field as a touch, tag or tackle player, it can be as a parent, as a volunteer, or as a referee.

“We as a game need ensure women feel welcome and that we are meeting their needs; it’s more than just throwing them a pink jersey, we want deep and meaningful engagement to grow their passion for the game.”

Why did ACT touch decide to change their name to the ACT Raiders?

It is good timing as we were required to change the branding/logos on our refreshed playing uniforms for national events. We decided on a name change and with the strategic alliance objective of forming closer relationships with NRL Clubs we changed our name to the ACT Raiders. The new uniforms feature the Raiders secondary logo and a fusion of both entities’ colours.

Do you see the partnership continuing to grow over the next few years?

I believe the partnership will grow significantly in coming months and years due to growing participation numbers across both codes, enhancing community engagement including shared operational areas and strengthening the alliance through ‘direct’ partnerships at the local level. We are also at the forefront of a number of strategic alliance initiatives and provide a guide for other rugby league clubs and touch football affiliates on joint activation plans and initiatives.

Touch Football and Rugby League have shared a strong and history and natural connection over the years across the region and will continue to build over time.

ISSUE 3 | AUG 2015

MEMBER PROFILE:

RUSSELL AYRES MY NAME IS RUSSELL AYRES AND YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD FROM ME FROM TIME TO TIME AS I’M THE WRITER OF THE WEEKLY MEMBER’S ARTICLE, ‘FROM THE STANDS’.

I’ve been a Raiders member for as long as I can remember.

There are so many reasons for signing up as a member that it’s hard to know where to start.

First of all, it’s value for money. Especially for members who have multiple game memberships.

The cost of watching the boys run around is far less per game with a membership than purchasing individual tickets on the day.

In addition, if your jersey is getting a little dated or you’re after some new merchandise, the membership also gets you a discount. There’s also a discount on food and drink on game day with a membership.

But being a member is about far more than saving dollars.

It’s about supporting the best club in the greatest game of all.

Members of the Raiders are family and that family provides a valuable supporter base for the club.

Through thick and thin, the members are there.

When the winter sun shines and the Raiders pile on a classic ambush, the members are there.

When the frost settles in Canberra and more layers are required than a trifle, the members are there.

When the boys are playing in Sydney, Melbourne, or even Townsville, you can bet there are members there.

But for me, being a member is all about the memories.

By being at every game, I’ve shared in some amazing moments at GIO Stadium.

Who could forget a cold night in 2009 when the Raiders absolutely demolished the Brisbane Broncos 56-0?

Or what about April last year when Paul Vaughan danced through the Melbourne Storm defence to win the game right at the death?

One of my favourite memories however was a warm Sunday afternoon semi-final against the Cronulla Sharks in 2012.

I had recently purchased my custom made Raiders suit from Thailand and this was the perfect occasion for it to make its debut.

Surrounded by friends and fellow Raiders fans and members, the game finished off in an absolute rout.

There’s nothing quite like a packed GIO Stadium when the Raiders are playing well.

When spirits are high and the crowd is on song, it’s one of my favourite places to be, and one of the worst places to be for the opposition.

The game was the epitome of everything I love about the Raiders. Fast, free-flowing, entertaining play and plenty of pride and passion in that famous lime green jersey.

These are just a few of the reasons I will forever bleed green and support the Canberra Raiders.

“MEMBERSHIP ISN’T JUST A TICKET TO THE GAME!”

THE WITH THREE HOME MATCHES IN THE LAST SEVEN ROUND OF THE SEASON, THE RAIDERS WILL BE LOOKING TO CONTINUE THEIR STRONG AWAY FORM AND IMPROVE THEIR HOME RECORD AS THEY LOOK TO MAKE A CHARGE TOWARDS THE 2015 NRL FINALS. THE RAIDERS FACE SOME TOUGH ROAD TRIPS AGAINST THE PANTHERS, COWBOYS TITANS AND EELS, WHILE THEY WILL HOST THE TIGERS, SEA EAGLES AND PANTHERS BEFORE THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON. DON’T FORGET THE RAIDERS OFFER ONE GAME, TWO GAME AND AWAY-FLEXI MEMBERSHIPS, SO IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO BECOME A MEMBER IN 2015 AND GIVE YOU FIRST OPTION AT FINALS TICKETS. VISIT WEARERAIDERS.COM.AU TO SIGN UP!

RUN HOME

13

ROUND 22:

MONDAY 10 AUGUST 10, 7.00PM GIO STADIUM (HOME)

ROUND 23:

SUNDAY 16 AUGUST, 2.00PM GIO STADIUM (HOME)

ROUND 24:

SUNDAY 23 AUGUST, 2.00PM CBUS SUPER STADIUM (AWAY)

ROUND 25:

MONDAY 31 AUGUST, 7.00PM GIO STADIUM (HOME)

ROUND 26:

SUNDAY 6 SEPTEMBER, 2.00PM PIRTEK STADIUM (AWAY)

THE

ODD COUPLE COVER STORY

BY SIMON MCGUINNESS

15

SOME SAY THAT THEY ARE THE REINCARNATION OF THE ‘BASH BROTHERS’ FROM THE MIGHTY DUCKS; TWO LOVABLE KNUCKLEHEADS WHO FEED OFF EACH OTHER’S BRUTAL CHARGES AND FEROCIOUS DEFENCE ON THE FIELD, JUST AS MUCH AS THEY DO OFF THE FIELD WITH THEIR NON-STOP BANTER AND PRACTICAL JOKES. Others, such as Captain Jarrod Croker, candidly and unreservedly say they are more like Dumb and Dumber, although he could not decide on who was the latter.

Had it not been for their love of Rugby League and the famed production line that exists within the Raiders development system, the pair’s paths may never have crossed.

Regardless of what you deem is the most suitable comparison, it matters very little. The main factor to take out of this unique, humorous and extremely tight friendship between young tyros Shannon Boyd and Paul Vaughan is the portrayal of the ever-growing brotherhood at Raiders HQ.

“I first laid eyes on Boydy in the SG Ball after he came down to Canberra from Cowra and we have made our way through the grades together,” Vaughan said. “It was far from love at first sight; I looked at him and thought jeez that’s a really ugly bloke there.

“The day I got here I was committed to making sure this group was focused on being a Raider and having a close mateship with one another because that’s what you need to be successful in this environment,” Coach Ricky Stuart said.

“I started hanging out with him because I basically felt sorry for him. I just thought jeez, this bloke needs some help, guidance and leadership so I’ll tuck him under my wing and show him the way.

“It was the same story in my day and it’s the same story today. Mateship will help us to be successful.

I’m lucky that the group here is a very tight-knit one that cares about each other and there is plenty of camaraderie there.

“They’re all very close with each other but Boydy and Vaughany definitely take it to another level. As a club we’re just hoping that the same sex marriage bill gets through parliament,” laughed Stuart.

They say opposites attract and that couldn’t be more accurate than with Boyd and Vaughan, or Pig and PV. Although they were both included in the Country Origin camp this year and play in the same position up front, the pair is vastly different.

Boyd, who hails from a farm in Cowra, is charismatically unrefined and enjoys nothing more than heading into bushland to go pigging in his spare time, which led to his nickname of Pig. Despite his Country Origin jersey, Vaughan on the other hand is unimaginable on a farm. He is by far the more metrosexual of the duo and goes by the self-appointed nickname of the Italian Stallion, in a somewhat masked self-plug for his representative experience at the 2013 World Cup.

“I can’t get away from him now…we room together, our lockers are always next to each other… I actually don’t even really like the bloke…”

Vaughan joked.

“No in all seriousness I don’t want him getting upset reading this - it’s been very rewarding for me to progress through the grades with Boydy and I feel very lucky to be able to train every day with somebody who is now one of my close mates.

“I’m so glad he made it through to the NRL because I love playing with him. I’ll never let him forget that I made it before him though. He’s not the type of bloke I normally hang around but they do say opposites attract.”

“My first impressions of Vaughany were that he was very confident and loud, but despite how full of himself he was, he has always been a very good bloke,” Boyd added. “It took a while for us to click, because I hadn’t met too many blokes like Vaughany in Cowra, but the more I got to know him and the more we played with each other the closer we became.

“It’s been good to progress through the ranks with Vaughany, especially throughout our time in the NSW Cup where there were a few ups and downs. He’s always there to make you laugh and pick you up when you’re feeling down. It’s taken

me a while to adjust to his peculiar habits when we room together but he’s a good laugh and helps me to relax and get my mind away from the game.”

Now that the two young larger-than-lifecharacters have become firmly entrenched in Canberra’s top 17, the pair’s unique banter has well and truly spread throughout Raiders HQ. The best feature of their collaborative chitchat isn’t so much the jokes themselves, but rather how it unites the entire squad.

“As a newcomer to the club, and the country really, they’ve been great in helping me settle in,” Josh Hodgson said. “Their humour can be annoying at times but it does bring everybody closer together.

“They’re an odd couple who are always taking the mickey out of each other, arguing with each other or tormenting someone else, but they help make the club what it is.

“It’s a pretty weird friendship they’ve got, they never leave each other’s sides.”

And Raiders fans will be overjoyed to hear that the pair wishes to continue their dynamic partnership on and off the field at the club for the rest of their careers.

“We’ve both signed up with the Raiders for a while so I’m looking forward to playing with him for many more years,” Vaughan said. “I’ve made it clear that I want to stay at this club long term and I know that Boydy feels the same. It’s pretty special playing in the NRL with mates that you’ve grown up with and it’d be great to have a career together at the Raiders.”

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17/07/2015 10:50 am