Tallon Smith
A 200-game NRL veteran and England representative will make his Canberra Raiders Cup debut as the Capital Country’s premier rugby league competition kicks off with four massive opening round games tomorrow.
Former Raiders second rower Elliott Whitehead will captain the West Belconnen Warriors as they open their season away to the Yass Magpies at Walker Park, one of six NRL players featuring in the opening round of the competition.
Whitehead will start at five-eighth for West Belconnen in the clash, returning to the region after a one season stint with Catalans in the Super League last year following his NRL retirement.
The inclusion further strengthens the Warriors’ line-up after an impressive season last year where the club finished third before bowing out in the opening week of the finals against Tuggeranong.
On the other side of the ledger, a distinct Gundagai flavour dominates the Yass side, with Toby Dasey and Cody Bell lining up for their first game as a centre pairing for the Magpies, while another former Tiger in Kaidan Bell will start in the number 7 role under new coach Anthony Vitler.
Meanwhile, two more former NRL players will headline the rematch of last season’s preliminary final between competition heavyweights Tuggeranong and Queanbeyan Roos at Greenway Oval.
Former Raiders forward Darby Medlyn will captain the Bushrangers, while ex-Dragons, St Helens and Hull KR fullback Adam Quinlan will take charge of the Roos for the first time after replacing Sam Williams as the club’s captain-coach.
Reigning premiers Queanbeyan Blues will open their campaign at home, welcoming the Belconnen United Sharks to Seiffert Oval.
Grand Final hero Dylan McLachlan will lead the Blues in the role of captain-coach for the first time, partnering Jayden McLachlan in the halves, while the star of December’s NSW Indigenous Invitational versus Group 20 Pasifika clash Tristan Eldridge will line-up at fullback for the Sharks.
Finally, in the remaining fixture, the Goulburn City Bulldogs will begin life under new coach Adam Taylor when they welcome the Gungahlin Bulls to the Workers Arena.
After a less than ideal transfer process, Tomasi Bikaca will take his place on the wing for the Bulldogs, who have been strengthened by the inclusion of former NRL halfback Mitch Cornish to the club’s squad for another year late in the pre-season.
Meanwhile, another former Woden Valley player will start in the front row for Gungahlin in Jesse Martin, with the Bulls also boasting an NRL-level half in Matt Frawley, who will start at five-eighth.
Woden Valley will begin its 60th year in the competition with a bye.
Looking ahead – Draw Highlights
Looking beyond round one, the biggest match of the season will take place in round three at Seiffert Oval, when the Queanbeyan Blues and Roos square off in a cross-town derby Grand Final rematch, before the return leg at Seears Workwear Oval in round 11.
Two massive local derbies will also take place in round seven on May 30, when the Belconnen United Sharks host the Gungahlin Bulls, and the Yass Magpies welcome the Goulburn City Bulldogs to Walker Park.
There will also be five Sunday games hosted by the West Belconnen Warriors throughout the season, against the Woden Valley Rams (round two), Tuggeranong Bushrangers (round six), Gungahlin Bulls (round 13), and Queanbeyan Blues (round 14).
The final competition round will take place on August 22, with a three week, four team finals series to follow, beginning after a week’s break on September 5, and concluding with the Grand Final, traditionally held at Seiffert Oval, on September 19.
The full draw is listed below.
Canberra Raiders Cup 2026 Season Draw
- Home team listed first, all games Saturday unless noted
Round 1 – April 11
Tuggeranong v Queanbeyan Roos
Queanbeyan Blues v Belconnen United
Yass v West Belconnen
Goulburn City v Gungahlin
Woden Valley bye
Round 2 – April 18/19
Belconnen United v Tuggeranong
Yass v Queanbeyan Roos
Goulburn City v Queanbeyan Blues
West Belconnen v Woden Valley (Sunday)
Gungahlin bye
Round 3 – May 2
Gungahlin v Tuggeranong
Woden Valley v Yass
West Belconnen v Goulburn City
Queanbeyan Blues v Queanbeyan Roos
Belconnen United bye
Round 4 – May 9
Woden Valley v Tuggeranong
Queanbeyan Roos v Gungahlin
Queanbeyan Blues v West Belconnen
Yass v Belconnen United
Goulburn City bye
Round 5 – May 16
Tuggeranong v Yass
Gungahlin v West Belconnen
Belconnen United v Goulburn City
Queanbeyan Roos v Woden Valley
Queanbeyan Blues bye
Round 6 – May 23/24
Gungahlin v Queanbeyan Blues
Queanbeyan Roos v Belconnen United
Goulburn City v Woden Valley
West Belconnen v Tuggeranong (Sunday)
Yass bye
Round 7 – May 30
Belconnen United v Gungahlin
Woden Valley v Queanbeyan Blues
West Belconnen v Queanbeyan Roos
Yass v Goulburn City
Tuggeranong bye
Round 8 – June 13
Tuggeranong v Goulburn City
Belconnen United v West Belconnen
Woden Valley v Gungahlin
Queanbeyan Blues v Yass
Queanbeyan Roos bye
Round 9 – June 20
Woden Valley v Belconnen United
Queanbeyan Blues v Tuggeranong
Yass v Gungahlin
Goulburn City v Queanbeyan Roos
West Belconnen bye
Round 10 – June 27
Gungahlin v Goulburn City
Belconnen United v Queanbeyan Blues
West Belconnen v Yass
Queanbeyan Roos v Tuggeranong
Woden Valley bye
Round 11 – July 4
Tuggeranong v Gungahlin
Queanbeyan Roos v Queanbeyan Blues
Yass v Woden Valley
Goulburn City v West Belconnen
Belconnen United bye
Round 12 – July 11
Tuggeranong v Belconnen United
Woden Valley v West Belconnen
Queanbeyan Roos v Yass
Queanbeyan Blues v Goulburn City
Gungahlin bye
Round 13 – July 18/19
Woden Valley v Queanbeyan Roos
Yass v Tuggeranong
Goulburn City v Belconnen United
West Belconnen v Gungahlin (Sunday)
Queanbeyan Blues bye
Round 14 – July 25/26
Tuggeranong v Woden Valley
Gungahlin v Queanbeyan Roos
Belconnen United v Yass
West Belconnen v Queanbeyan Blues (Sunday)
Goulburn City bye
Round 15 – August 1
Gungahlin v Belconnen United
Queanbeyan Roos v West Belconnen
Queanbeyan Blues v Woden Valley
Goulburn City v Yass
Tuggeranong bye
Round 16 – August 8
Tuggeranong v West Belconnen
Belconnen United v Queanbeyan Roos
Woden Valley v Goulburn City
Queanbeyan Blues v Gungahlin
Yass bye
Round 17 – August 15
Gungahlin v Woden Valley
West Belconnen v Belconnen United
Yass v Queanbeyan Blues
Goulburn City v Tuggeranong
Queanbeyan Roos bye
Round 18 – August 22
Tuggeranong v Queanbeyan Blues
Gungahlin v Yass
Belconnen United v Woden Valley
Queanbeyan Roos v Goulburn City
West Belconnen bye
