Canberra Raiders 2026 season preview
2025 recap
The Raiders had an incredible year in 2025, which dropped off spectacularly.
They clinched their first Minor Premiership since 1990 with a game to spare in the regular season. Then they conceded 62 points in the final game of the year, before going out in straight sets in the Finals – the first Minor Premiers to do that since the Dragons in 2009.
2025 position: 1st (Eliminated in week two of Finals)
Key signings
Jayden Brailey (Newcastle Knights), Sione Finau (St George Illawarra Dragons), Daine Laurie (Penrith Panthers), Coby Black (Brisbane Broncos)
Key departures
Jamal Fogarty (Manly Sea Eagles), Pasami Saulo (Newcastle Knights), Trey Mooney (Newcastle Knights), Albert Hopoate (Warrington Wolves), Danny Levi (Leeds Rhinos), Jordan Martin (Mackay Cutters), Manaia Waitere (Melbourne Storm)
Players to watch
With Jamal Fogarty now gone, Ethan Sanders is likely to be Canberra’s new number seven. It’ll be a big ask for a player with just four games of first grade under his belt, so it may well be a case of sink or swim for the 22-year-old this year.
Matty Nicholson had a sensational start to his Canberra career in 2025 before injury cruelly struck. The 22-year-old crossed for five tries in 11 games, but in his absence the Raiders still managed to clinch the Minor Premiership. He’ll need to oust Zac Hosking from the starting side, then cement his place in the second row again.
Young gun
New signing Coby Black has been a star through the lower grades with Brisbane Broncos and Queensland. The 19-year-old has yet to make his first grade debut, but with Ethan Sanders a relatively unknown quantity in the halves, he could get his chance sooner rather than later if Sanders struggles for form.
Our prediction – 10th
I predicted the Raiders would finish 12th last year and ended up with egg on my face, but it’s not going to stop me from predicting another lowly finish in 2026. The loss of Jamal Fogarty is a big one, and they haven’t replaced him with an established halfback. Ethan Sanders could be a revelation, but there are too many ‘coulds’ around this side for me to back them into the top eight.
