As you walk into the Canberra Raiders’ Braddon headquarters, you are met with tiles on the floor bearing the names of those who contributed to the centre.
Gaze your eyes up and there are glass doors that allow you to look out towards the training field.
Some of the door windows, carpets and gym weights bear the Raiders’ Viking logo.
When the sod was first turned at the centre in 2020, Raiders chief executive officer Don Furner said: “it brings us back to where we were 21 years ago”.
“It’s in a brilliant setting. It’s a historically listed oval. Sport and rugby league has been played here since 1925,” he said at the time.
The Raiders HQ was previously based at Bruce Oval, from 1999-2020.
On the ground level at the Braddon centre is a spacious gym with enough equipment for all players to undertake weight training without having to wait – something many of us have dealt with when using public gyms.
Banners are lined high on the walls bearing the names of the teams and years the Raiders either won the NRL Grand Final or were runners-up. Other banners in this area have photographs showcasing the “history makers” for the three years they won.
The doors open to the field, creating more space to train. It also allows the players to practice sprints along a track that goes from inside to outside.
Tucked away in a corner is a wrestling mat dedicated to past player Quentin Pongia. The New Zealander died in 2019, aged 48, from cancer.
“He was a big part of the ‘94 team,” a Raiders spokeswoman told CD.
During Magic Round in 2024, which marked the 30th anniversary of the club’s last premiership, a minute’s silence was held, and a haka was performed in the locker room in his honour.
There are also a few offices where the high-performance staff and coaches can observe the players while they’re in the gym.
There is also a little kitchen in the area called the ‘nutrition station’ where the players grab their shakes after training – the players’ names are on the bottles – as well as a water filling station.
The players also have a kitchen where they can eat their meals, hang out during breaks between training, watch some television, battle it out at table tennis, and see their schedule for the day.
The past is also present throughout, including an honour roll for both the NRL and NRLW teams.
“We’re proud of our history,” the Raiders spokeswoman said.
Near that room are pigeonholes where the players store their boots and hang up GPS vests.
The high-performance data and technology team said the vests collected information, including the total distance, high-speed running efforts, acceleration efforts, running symmetry and workload.
“Information is captured live during training and games and decisions about player performance can be derived for the coaching staff,” they said.
The downstairs also has an analysis room and a doctor’s office.
At the other end of the ground level is a space for the NRLW players, including their locker room, which opened in 2024.
There are photographs of historical moments above the lockers “connecting the past” to the present. Motivational messages are also peppered throughout the headquarters.
The Jersey Flegg Cup and under-21 players also have their own changeroom.
If that wasn’t enough, the ground floor also has a Canberra Raiders Hall of Fame.
There are so many there it looks like those walls will run out of space soon!
Nearby is the team’s locker room which also has a focus on the history of the club.
Each current player’s locker has a past player’s name in descending order for the most games for the Raiders.
“So, starting on the left side as you walk in, Jason Croker is the first locker as he has played the most games for the Raiders. Next is Jarrod Croker, then Josh Papalii (which happens to be on Josh Papalii’s actual locker!) and so on,” the Raiders spokeswoman said.
Nearby, there is also a stock room for Raiders merchandise and a physiotherapy room which includes a hydrotherapy room, a sauna and a spa. Each Wednesday, the players are given a 30-minute massage.
Heading up the stairs to the second floor there are staff offices, as well as meeting rooms linked to club-related matters, including the years the club won a premiership.
There is also the McIntrye Boardroom, named to reflect the contribution of the McIntyre family, led by club founding father Les McIntyre and former Chairman and current Club Patron John McIntyre.
A theatre with vibrant green chairs is where the players listen to talks and special guests, are presented with jerseys, and attend meetings and information sessions for trips away and pre-season focuses. There is also a small, soundproofed content creation room that can be used for podcasts and interviews. A green screen can be pulled down for players to have their photograph taken.
Canberra Daily would love to hear from you about a story idea in the Canberra and surrounding region. Click here to submit a news tip.
