NRL Almanac – Glory Days: the Canberra Raiders

“Who’s taken it? It’s loose. Picked up by Daley, Daley’s given it on to Ferguson; Ferguson goes for the line – a try!!! Oh can you believe this? Chicka Ferguson has scored alongside the posts.” Winfield Cup Grand Final, 1989 – Rex Mossop

That was the moment every Raiders fan in Australia roared. That was the moment the Raiders equalized the Grand final at 14-14. It was the moment – for the first time in Rugby League history – that a non-Sydney team threatened to win the premiership.  

And then, it happened: Steve Jackson scored his first try in first grade, breaking 7 tackles (count them) and dragging three Balmain players over the line – in extra time – for possibly the toughest try in grand final history. In the words of the commentator:

“I didn’t think there was any way he was going to make it, but he did. What strength, what power, what a grand final, what a premiership! The Canberra raiders have done the impossible. The Canberra Raiders have won the Winfield cup”.

It was the try that broke Balmain’s heart. It was the day that cast a pall over the Sydney papers. “Winfield Cup Broken” lamented the headlines (admittedly after Laurie Daley dropped the trophy off the back of a car): not a word of congratulations from the media in Sydney to the victors down south.

It was also the start of an era. Of the glory days of the Canberra Raiders; who became arguably the most dominant team in the competition for 7 years, from 1989 to 1996. The Canberra Raiders won three premierships in that period and were runners-up another year. They made the finals every year except 1992. They had the most devastating halves combination (Stuart – Daley) the best lock (Bradley Clyde) and the most powerful centre in the game (Mal Meninga).

Those were the days I worked as a barman at the Raiders Leagues Club, picking up ashtrays, pouring drinks, and watching my idols – Clyde, Meninga, Belcher, sinking beers late on a Sunday night in a club bursting at the seams with supporters and community spirit. Those were the days.

Which brings us to today.

Today I’m at the Raiders v Warriors game, Round 6. The Green Machine has been dominant, showing flashes of brilliance on the way to a 32 – 12 victory. David Shillington, (14 hitups, 150 metres gained), Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (10 hit ups, 17 tackles) and Josh Papalii (9 hitups, 28 tackles) showed heart, while Reece Robinson (2 tries) proved an able replacement for Josh Dugan. Jarrod Croker (2 from 7 conversions) needs to learn how to bloody kick.

But the flashes of brilliance were just that: mere flashes. And the win, while complete, was not convincing. The Warriors had opportunities but were too inept to take them.

The crowd was willing, but – on a warm autumn day (a rare event indeed in Canberra) – also disappointing. The ‘Raiders Army’, a group of supporters that has occupied Bay 72 since 2002, weren’t at the game. They disbanded last year. They quit because, while strongly supportive of the team, became disillusioned with the management.

The glory days for the Raiders are long gone, and the years since have witnessed a long, steady decline. A decline perhaps best summed up by Raiders Board Member John Mackay, who , after the Club decided to extend David Furner’s contract to 2014 said, “If we had a choice between David and someone who was there to win games and nothing else, we'd have David every time. He'd have to lose another 30 games…He has my support and the board's support, which runs deeper than a losing streak.''

It’d be hard to think of a sentence that could show less respect for fans of the Club. Sure, all true fans should be prepared to stick by the Green Machine through good times and bad. But those fans are entitled to expect the Club to place the team and its supporters at the centre of all decisions, not the connections of one individual.

I go back from time to time and watch replays of the 1989 Grand Final. I have to. It’ll be a long time before I see them there again.