Canberra Raiders look to build on Academy program in Riverina

After starting last year, the Raiders Academy programs have been expanded as the club looks to provide better opportunities for Riverina players to have exposure to elite level coaching and training to help develop their game and put them on the pathway to the NRL.

All without having the burden of travel.

Sessions were held in Wagga, Cootamundra and Griffith on Monday.

Raiders Elite Pathways coach Chris Hutchison is impressed with the talent in the region.

"The Riverina is unbelievable," Hutchison said.

"We had a trial for Group Nine in Junee and Group 20 in Griffith two weeks ago and came away thinking this was probably one of the best crops we've seen in a long time.

"That's saying something as there has been some really good players come out of here but the young kids here between 14 and 15 I think they have a really big future and hopefully because of this program it allows them to develop into very young players and very good young men."

Hutchison hopes continuing the program will help foster more talent from the region.

"Part of our commitment to the region is we want to get out here, show our faces and show them the Raiders way," he said.

"Hopefully they become fans and players for the NRL and NRLW."

The Raiders have played four NRL games over the last five years at Equex Centre after making a deal with Wagga City Council.

It wasn't renewed for 2024 with Raiders chief executive Don Furner revealing the club would be penalised under their conflicting deal with the ACT government for taking another game out of the city.

However the Raiders will have a 'home game' during Magic Round in Brisbane for the first time in 2024.

New South Wagga Rugby League zone manager David Skinner believes initiatives like the Raiders Academy are more beneficial to the region then more NRL games.

"The Raiders commitment with us has been going for three to four years now and I think the game might have overshadowed the good work that was going on in the background and as time has gone on the program has evolved," Skinner said.

"Last year it started and all that has happened this year is the numbers that have been exposed have increased and it's a very positive relationship."

Kangaroos junior Tyler Jordan was part of the first Academy.

He's now progressed to being part of Canberra's extended Harold Matthews squad.

Jordan feels having the Academy in Wagga really helped his game progress.

"The Raiders put a lot of effort into us, they travel down the three hours every week for us local boys to get the experience that we get, they make us feel like we're involved with the Canberra boys," Jordan said.

"It's improved my footy heaps, the little techniques we don't get down here that the Canberra coaches have taught us and you're seeing a lot of improvement in the boys' game who are involved down here."