Best 17s of the 16-team era: Canberra Raiders

The Canberra Raiders have had a difficult last decade and a half over the course of the 16-team era, but still had a sprinkling of success throughout.

The 2019 grand final is the obvious highlight, with the Ricky Stuart-coached side losing to the Sydney Roosters in the big dance.

2016 is the other highlight throughout the 16-team era, which stretches back to 2007 when the Gold Coast Titans joined the competition.

Now, with the Dolphins due to become the competition's 17th club in 2023, Zero Tackle are taking the chance to look back at every club's best 17 throughout the era.

The only qualification to be considered for selection at a club is that the player must have played more career games for that club where they have played for multiple between the 2007 and 2022 period.

Current players will also be considered for selection.

Fullback: Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad

The Raiders' fullback selection in this team only has one realistic candidate, being Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.

The fullback, who played for the Raiders between 2019 - where he was involved in the club's emphatic march to the grand final - and then of this year, hasn't ended his time at the green machine well, but will always hold a special place in the heart of fans.

Josh Dugan was the only other realistic option, but he played more games during his career for the Dragons, and so wasn't excluded from being considered at the Raiders.

Canberra have used other options at the back, but none have held enough sway to be considered for this side.

Wingers: Jordan Rapana and Joel Monaghan

The Raiders have plenty more options available on the wing than they do at fullback, but that doesn't mean the first man picked is any less of a problem.

Jordan Rapana makes his way into this side without a shadow of a doubt. The now 32-year-old made his club debut in 2014, having previously spent time at the Gold Coast Titans, and has been an almost permanent fixture of the side ever since.

The famous 'Leipana' combination on the edge with Joseph Leilua was a big reason behind the club's success through the period, with the Wellington-born star now having scored 91 tries in 176 games for Canberra.

The other spot had plenty of options available - Nick Cotric, Phil Graham and Joel Monaghan being the leading chances.

Monaghan, able to play at centre and wing, ultimately wins the spot though, having been a consistent performer during his 121 games for the green machine.

Centres

The centre selections are some of the easier ones we will make throughout this series. With Monaghan picked on the wing, it left some suitable front-runners to be picked one spot further in.

As mentioned, a big part of the Raiders' success over recent times, no matter the turmoil that has followed his exit from the nation's capital, was Joseph Leilua.

A barnstorming centre at his best, he walks into this side with relative ease for one of the spots.

Jarrod Croker, despite his injury worries in recent times and the baffling fact he never found a way into the New South Wales State of Origin side, is picked at the other centre position.

One hopes he will find his way to 300 games this season, currently sitting on 292, where he has scored 133 tries to go with 856 career goals.

Halves: Jack Wighton and Terry Campese

The Raiders had an abundance of talented halves throughout the course of the last 16 years.

A team that has been to a preliminary final and a grand final are always going to have some strong players, but this is one of the tougher selections.

In the number six, it came down to a battle between Jack Wighton, Blake Austin and Todd Carney.

Ultimately, with Wighton a New South Wales and Australian representative, and a Clive Churchill Medal winner to boot during that fabulous 2019 season, before taking out the Dally M Medal the following year, will win the spot ahead of the other duo.

In the number seven, Terry Campese and Aidan Sezer hold the inside running ahead of 2019 grand finalist George Williams.

Ultimately, Campese was the man who was the heart and soul of the club, despite his injuries, and takes the spot in the crucial role.

Middle forwards: Josh Papalii, Joseph Tapine and Shaun Fensom

The Raiders have had plenty of options in the middle to pick from since 2007, and some of the best players in the competition to boot.

Their current pair of props - Josh Papalii and Joseph Tapine - have held the fort down for a number of years though and are easy selections in the front row for the green machine.

Papalii, who has also played plenty of representative football, is now played the third-most games in club history, while Tapine is approaching 150 and has been an enormous part of anything good they have done over the last couple of years.

Shannon Boyd, David Shillington, Dane Tilse, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Iosia Soliola are the other names in the picture when it comes to picking props, but all have been left to fight for bench spots.

Shaun Fensom is the obvious selection at lock. A workhorse during his time at the club, Fensom never shied away from his work and, one suspects, had he been a Queenslander, would have played plenty of State of Origin.

Of course, that leaves Alan Tongue out of the starting side, but not the side overall.

Hooker: Josh Hodgson

Alan Tongue is another option to play at dummy half after being overlooked for the number 13 jumper, but ultimately doesn't take the spot away from Englishman Josh Hodgson.

Playing his first NRL game for the Raiders in 2015, Hodgson has gone on to play almost 140 games for the green machine and was involved in both of the club's successes - being 2016 and 2019.

He may not have broken through for the premiership and struggled for form later in his career, but that doesn't take anything away from what he has been able to achieve.

Second row: Elliott Whitehead and Hudson Young

The Raiders have has something of a shortage in the quality second-row department since 2007.

Joel Thompson and Joe Picker are the two realistic options who spring to mind from the early parts of the period, with Thompson only just qualifying after playing three games more for Canberra than he did once he made the switch to the St George Illawarra Dragons.

That said, it has been recently when the club has had its strongest period on the edge, with Elliott Whitehead holding a position and quickly becoming a leader of the club, while both John Bateman and Hudson Young are in contention on raw talent.

Young will partner with Whitehead in this team though.

Interchange: Alan Tongue, David Shillington, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and John Bateman

As mentioned, Alan Tongue has the first bench spot without having a challenge.

The other three spots go to David Shillington and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs - who were both excellent during their time at Canberra - and edge forward John Bateman.

His time in the nation's capital may have been short, but his influence in helping the Raiders to the 2019 grand final can't be understated.