The Canberra Raiders have set their sights on replicating the 2010 Dragons as they look to turn an unwanted piece of history into premiership glory.
The Raiders became the first minor premiers since the 2009 St George Illawarra side to suffer a straight-sets exit from the finals series.
Dragons fans know exactly what happened next. The Wayne Bennett-coached team used the pain of defeat as motivation throughout 2010 on the way to both the minor premiership and a dominant grand final victory.
It’s a similar path the Raiders hope to travel in 2026, with captain Joe Tapine confident his side will ultimately benefit from a painful end to 2025.
“It was disappointing but there are a lot of lessons to take out of the year, especially for the younger boys,” Tapine told NRL.com. “It will make us a better team in the long run.
“Everyone will have to work hard this pre-season or they’ll be getting blasted by me and Ricky. We’ve got to do better next year and I’m looking forward to it.
“I want to win a comp at the Raiders, that’s my main goal every year.”
The similarities between the Dragons and Raiders extend beyond the straight-sets finals exits.
St George Illawarra were in the midst of a 31-year title drought before hoisting the trophy in 2010. Canberra’s wait will stretch out to 32 years in 2026, their last title coming in 1994.
Bennett addressed the 2009 disappointment when the players assembled for the start of pre-season, with the squad discussing what went wrong before the issue was put to bed.
Retired forward Ben Creagh said the honesty session allowed the side to enter 2010 without any lingering issues and expects the Raiders follow a similar path heading into next season.
“We had some pretty honest discussions around the disappointment of 2009,” Creagh told NRL.com. “It was important for us to discuss what went wrong, how we could address it and move forward.
“That disappointment didn’t linger but as a Dragons player who played through most of the 2000s, there was still that chokers tag that used to hang over us. At some point, we got some wins, we knew how competitive we were going to be and internally we put that to bed.
“We learned from the mistakes from 2009 and we played with a lot more confidence throughout the year and it showed in the finals games we played.”
While there are similarities between the two sides, there are also plenty of differences. The 2010 Dragons were a perennial premiership contender who had struggled to take the next step until Bennett arrived.
The Raiders were not expected to challenge for a title in 2025, with some pundits even tipping them for the wooden spoon.
The squad is also much younger than the Dragons were and entering the start of their premiership window.
While Josh Papalii is likely entering his final year in the NRL, Tapine, Hudson Young and Corey Horsburgh are at their prime.
Xavier Savage, Kaeo Weekes and Savelio Tamale are future stars who set the competition alight in 2025 and will look to take another big step forward next season.
The biggest question mark for the Raiders surrounds their halves. Five-eighth Ethan Strange earned a spot on the Kangaroos Ashes tour and will be a key member of the team moving forward.
His halves partner, however, is less clear. Jamal Fogerty departed in the off-season for Manly, leaving Ethan Sanders and new recruit Coby Black to battle it out for the No.7 jumper.
While both players have starred in the junior ranks, it may take some time before they play their best football in the top flight. Black is yet the make his NRL debut, while Sanders has played just four games of first grade.
Black has launched straight into training with his new club, with the Raiders international stars preparing to return in the coming weeks.
Young toured to England with the Kangaroos, while Josh Papalii lined up for Samoa opposite Tapine and Matt Timoko in the Pacific Championships final.
The Kiwis came out on top, with Timoko confident the win will provide a launch pad for a successful season with the Raiders.
“The end of the NRL season left a sour taste in my mouth about what could have been,” Timoko told NRL.com. “Especially because a lot of the tries in the finals were scored down my side, down the right edge.
“After having a rest and getting my body right, I’m committed to helping solve what went wrong with our side of the field. It was disappointing but the finals losses only made for a better Canberra Raiders in 2026.”
