Read on for the latest news from around the grounds in Canberra sport. We've got the latest on former Raiders entering new territory, David Pocock questioning the Giants' funding and a new local rugby league coach.
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Forget about Jack Wighton to the Rabbitohs or Luke Brooks to Manly, the biggest move of the NRL off-season happened right under our noses and we didn't even know about it.
Two former Raiders will go head to head in Canberra's sports radio war after Sam Williams defected from SEN to ABC and his former skipper, Jarrod Croker, jumped into his old chair to take on a new job.
The good mates will compete for ratings in the Saturday morning sport timeslot, with Williams taking the reins at ABC Canberra and Croker joining Michelle Bishop across town on 1323AM.
Both stations are tapping into the love of the Raiders, which has exploded in recent years and there is now a regular Green Machine flavour at four different outlets.
The Croker versus Williams battle is intriguing. The pair, who spent the best part of a decade as teammates, are taking a light-hearted view to the competition but some are wondering which one is the Datsun and which one is the Rolls Royce.
![Former Canberra Raiders duo Jarrod Croker and Sam Williams are duelling on the airwaves. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Former Canberra Raiders duo Jarrod Croker and Sam Williams are duelling on the airwaves. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/36vwtM5n3dmMVgNPycRBEHz/2b4e9992-b312-40e4-9dd9-0a8c5aa08ed8.png/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"For a bloke that's too tight to pay for wifi I can't believe he's gone and got himself set up with all the gear. He must have pinched some on his way out," Croker quipped this week. "He wouldn't shout a shark if it bit him.
"I was still playing last year. So he thinks because he has a year of experience on me he's got me covered. I like to think I've had a few more radio interviews over my time though."
Williams got his right of reply. "A little bit like the tries Jarrod scored, he gets some else to do all the hard work and swoops in to get the rewards.
"Once again, he'll have Michelle running the show and he will get the pats on the back."
The pair aren't the first former Raiders to dabble in radio. Alan Tongue has been a long-time commentator while Terry Campese dipped his toe in before shifting to Townsville for a coaching opportunity.
But this is the first time two Raiders favourites have competed for the same listeners. Williams retired at the end of 2022 and Croker followed last year after more than 300 games. Both have very full dance cards these days. Croker is on the coaching staff as well as juggling plenty of requests for guest speaking, golf days, race days and more.
Williams is playing for the North-Canberra Gungahlin first-grade side in the Cricket ACT competition and is also a sideline eye for ABC's game-day coverage.
"The one thing I will give Sammy is that he's very clever. A great brain for most sports, just not the rig," Croker said.
"Regardless of who wins the ratings, it will probably end in me shouting lunch and a few beers. But I'm pretty confident we've got him covered."
Both shows will run at almost the same time. Croker and Bishop kick-off at 10am and run through to 12pm, while Williams has an hour to himself from 11am.
TAB DEAL SPARKS GIANT DISCUSSION
Former Wallabies captain David Pocock weighed into the murky waters of gambling advertising in sport this week, questioning the GWS Giants' decision to sign a deal with the TAB.
"Tragic lack of leadership from GWS Giants signing a gambling sponsor in 2024," Pocock, now a federal senator, wrote on social media platform X.
![The Brumbies don't have TAB on their jerseys this year, but the Giants have signed up with the company and the Raiders have PalmerBet on their playing and training strips. The Brumbies don't have TAB on their jerseys this year, but the Giants have signed up with the company and the Raiders have PalmerBet on their playing and training strips.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/j2iwCiKfwhVWJky39Vsdpt/06a5c8b0-f14b-42ab-b83b-12a70a2db4e0.png/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Using athletes to advertise and normalise something that causes so much harm in communities around [Australia] needs to end.
"I hear from Canberrans that they don't want their kids seeing gambling ads. Should the ACT reconsider the $28 million we pay to the GWS Giants?"
There's been plenty of discussion about sports advertising in Canberra, with the ACT Greens launching a motion to ban fossil fuel advertising at sporting venues and for professional sporting teams playing in the capital.
The Giants used players to promote the new deal on social media. The club has signed a new 10-year deal to play three games per season at Manuka Oval, but the TAB partnership set tongues wagging about government funding.
The only problem is if the Giants get punished, other Canberra teams will suffer as well. The Brumbies, Pocock's former team, also had a sponsorship with the TAB until this year. The Raiders also have a deal with Palmerbet. So if the Giants lose their government funding, so would the two teams based in Canberra.
BUSH FOOTY BEGINS
Find someone who has been around country rugby league long enough and they'll be able to tell you about the year they should have bloody won that West Wyalong Knockout.
A staple on the bush footy calendar, the time-honoured knockout was on the canvas during the COVID-19 pandemic before country clubs rallied to revive the tournament last year.
Now three Canberra Raiders Cup clubs - the Queanbeyan Blues, Woden Valley Rams and Tuggeranong Bushrangers - are all heading to West Wyalong for the 51st edition of the storied knockout at Ron Crowe Oval.
Some already say the Bushrangers, who were grand finalists in the Canberra competition last year, should go close to winning the $20,000 prize for first place - as long as the bus doesn't break down on the way.
A record $30,800 will be up for grabs throughout the weekend, and there is plenty of intrigue surrounding the Blues as they look to rebound from a torrid 2023 that saw them unable to field a reserve grade side and eventually forfeit a Canberra Raiders Cup game.
Meanwhile, the University of Canberra Stars have put the call out for players after appointing the Greek women's national team coach as their new leader.
Stuart McLennan is back in Canberra after a stint overseas and wants to grow the player base.
![Greece women's team coach Stuart McLennan, centre, will coach the UC Stars this year. Greece women's team coach Stuart McLennan, centre, will coach the UC Stars this year.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/j2iwCiKfwhVWJky39Vsdpt/87cc5481-6999-489a-82e1-1198ca7ad12d.png/r21_0_1538_854_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Even if you have never played rugby league before we would love to have you in our team," McLennan said.
TIME TO PULL THE PIN ON A-LEAGUE?
We're now coming up to the eight-month anniversary of the A-League's missed Canberra deadline, so is it time to start thinking about pulling the pin on a men's team altogether, or at least for next season?
The APL initially set June 30, 2023 as its target for having a Canberra team signed, sealed and delivered with an investor to give the club (and prospective fans) time to get excited.
We're nearing the end of February and there's still nothing official, but APL boss Nick Garcia has been adamant a Canberra team is the stroke of a pen away from being finalised. Time will tell.
CAPITALS BACK TO THE AIS
![The Capitals haven't played at the AIS Arena since the 2019-20 grand final. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong The Capitals haven't played at the AIS Arena since the 2019-20 grand final. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/j2iwCiKfwhVWJky39Vsdpt/ca127290-84e8-4d20-8fd2-f97a6fa8b864.jpg/r0_0_4928_2771_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Capitals general manager Lucille Bailie flagged the club's desire to use the AIS Arena as a full-time home next season as remediation work at the venue nears completion.
The only problem - we're still waiting to find out if the Australian Sports Commission has invested in a new basketball floor.
The old floor was damaged in storage when the arena was mothballed in 2020, and so far there hasn't been confirmation that a new surface has been purchased.
Have your say
- Have you heard something and want to get in touch?
- caden.helmers@canberratimes.com.au