A chance to win the premiership title quickly slipped away from the Raiders in the 2025 finals series, leaving Corey Horsburgh “jealous” of those who played in the grand final.
After starting the season as outsiders to make the eight, the Raiders confounded pundits as the newly fashioned entertainers of the competition, climbing the ladder to claim the minor premiership in front of a raucous home crowd.
But the ladder-leaders dominant run came to a sudden halt in the finals series as Ricky Stuart was left searching for an answer on the sidelines.
The Raiders looked to be on track to win their first premiership since 1994, a team in which Stuart starred as the gun halfback. Going into this season, the club had only featured once in a grand final since their golden period in the early ’90s.
Despite falling short of the ultimate glory, several Green Machine stars were rewarded with national team call-ups for the upcoming Ashes series and the Pacific Championships.
Horsburgh will join Raiders teammates Tom Starling and Ethan Strange in the Prime Minister’s XIII against PNG in Port Moresby on Sunday, October 12.
Not all players in the squad have arrived in camp just yet, with Melbourne duo Nick Meaney and Tyran Wishart still recovering from their grand final defeat.
Horsburgh endured his own feeling of heartbreak while watching the grand final unfold.
“It was a bit of a weird one (to watch). A little bit of jealousy but not in a bad way,” he told 2GB’s Wide World of Sports.
“I would’ve liked to be there this year, unfortunately we didn’t. I felt like we had all the right tools and squad to get there this year.
“We let ourselves down against the Sharks and then in some moments against the Broncos. It was a good learning curve for the Canberra Raiders and our young team.
“I think we will get (to the grand final) eventually and hopefully we can get the job done when we get there.
“It’s been a good experience so far. I can’t wait to do it all over again next year and hopefully take the (Raiders) a few games further next year.”
While a premiership is the goal at club level, Horsburgh is also chasing the ultimate recognition at representative level, with a Kangaroos jersey on his wish list.
“Obviously, my dream is to one day play for the top team but this is a good stepping stone to properly meet Kevvy,” he said.
“We had a quick little run today and we have some speed and skill on the edges.
“I will just be doing my job in the middle and letting those boys do all the fancy stuff.”
