The Canberra Raiders enter the 2026 NRL season looking to replicate as best they can their last season after finishing first in 2025. With the likes of Ethan Strange, Joe Tapine, and Kaeo Weekes driving their campaign, the club will be aiming to make a deep run in September.
Season Preview
The Canberra Raiders head into 2026 with an ambitious squad hungry for more after getting a taste of what the rush of being a successful football team feels like last season. They were the pre-season wooden spoon favourites who defied the odds, claiming their first minor premiership since 1990. The agony of back-to-back defeats in the finals was a bitter pill to swallow, especially in the manner they lost in an emotional rollercoaster of a game against the soon-to-be premiers Brisbane. It felt like the tank was empty and all the air had deflated out of the metaphorical balloon that was their premiership hopes. The physical and mental wounds showed the following game against Cronulla where the dream was officially put to bed, losing by 20 points at home.
The form of the Raiders forward pack as a unit was close to best in the competition last season. Mix that with the natural talent and athleticism of a youthful backline and you can see why they went as far as they did. Despite all this it couldn’t have been done without their halfback and general Jamal Fogarty. This brings their biggest challenge going forward: there is no Fogarty. The Raiders started making plans for Fogarty’s departure by bringing in two highly regarded young talents in Ethan Sanders and Coby Black over the last two seasons. Sanders showed a glimpse of his promise when he started in place of Fogarty in a win against the Roosters in Sydney. It will be interesting to see which halfback Raiders coach Ricky Stuart goes with in round 1 against the Sea Eagles in Manly.
This team is too talented not to compete on a weekly basis, so I feel finals football is on the cards once again for the Raiders. My biggest concern is if the young halfbacks will need a season or two to get to the level required to repeat the minor premiership success and possibly a deeper charge into a grand final. If Ricky can play his cards right I have no doubt there is some dynasty potential here. The squad is well balanced and the depth is sufficient enough to get through hardships. If you’re a Raiders fan I think there are some exciting times to come. Will the late 2020s be as good as the late 1980s and early 1990s? Time will tell.
Best Signing
Coby Black
The big question on everyone’s lips is who is going to replace Fogarty? Ricky Stuart seems to think Black is good enough, and so do the talent scouts around the country. Unfortunately for the Brisbane Broncos a player with this future potential didn’t quite fit their timeline of “win now”. In salary cap sports, teams have an often short premiership window because the wage demands rise as the players’ reputations grow. This means you can’t hold on to all your talent and tough decisions have to be made. The timing couldn’t be better for Canberra as they are hoping they’ve found a long-term halves partner for Ethan Strange.
Key Player
Ethan Strange
It’s hard to think of a player under more pressure going into this season than Strange. All that experience he had by his side in Fogarty is now gone and at his young age he has veteran levels of responsibilities in the halves. I genuinely feel he is a natural leader on the back of his ferocious defence and never-say-die attitude. I have zero doubts he is capable of bringing this team long-term success. I’ll go one further: Strange is ready for representative football.
Player to Watch
Kaeo Weekes
After some tough seasons in the shadow of Tom Trbojevic at Manly, Weekes had his breakthrough season last year with the Raiders. Every time he touches the football you get excited by the way he can make something out of nothing. You only have to look at the try he scored at Magic Round late against the Storm as the Raiders were running out of ideas to crack them. The weather conditions suggested a chip-and-chase clutch solo try was not on the cards.. unless you’re Weekes. No one brings more flair and excitement to this team than Kaeo.
Draw Analysis
The early rounds will offer a good test for the Raiders with only four home matches over the first 10 rounds of the season. They begin with away games in Manly and New Zealand, which often feel very lonely and hostile when visiting. They then entertain the Bulldogs and the Sharks at home in rounds 3 and 4, two teams with top four ambitions and top eight expectations. It’s important to get off to a good start in this competition with no easy games. The tests begin right away for the men in green.
The State of Origin period always impacts clubs differently. The heavyweight clubs are naturally affected more by having their star players out of action. It’s hard to tell if the Raiders will be heavily impacted by Origin. The smart thing about recruiting a lot of Englishman and New Zealanders by Canberra is they will be available around Origin time. The Raiders’ draw is quite favourable as they play the likes of the Storm and Bulldogs around this period. Two teams with a few key representative players that’ll be called up.
The run home looks good for the Raiders as well as they have four home games and a bye from rounds 20 to 27. In saying that they do have tough tests against teams like Souths, Penrith, Cronulla, and Brisbane. The final game of the season has the potential to be do-or-die with a trip to Townsville against the Cowboys. The Cowboys aren’t tipped to impact the top eight this season, but with talents like Purdue and Dearden I think they have a good shot at testing good sides and making the finals themselves.
Big Questions
- Can Sanders and/or Black fill the void left by veteran halfback Fogarty?
- How will Stuart navigate the crowded hooker position?
- Will the club’s expectations be too high after the minor premiership run in 2025?
Predicted Finish
Outside Chance
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Related Items
- 🔁 2025 Season Review: https://rugbyleaguezone.com/canberra-raiders-2025-season-review-and-statistical-breakdown/
- 📅 2026 Draw & Fixtures: https://rugbyleaguezone.com/canberra-raiders-2026-nrl-fixtures-squad-list-and-player-signings/
