During the 10 years of the National Youth Competition, the Canberra Raiders were one of the most successful sides as they were crowned minor premiers on two occasions and also claimed the inaugural premiership.
To mark the end of the competition, we have appointed a three-man panel consisting of David Hamilton, Peter Mulholland and Barry Molyneux to help us select the Raiders Greatest NYC Team.
The first position to be picked is that of fullback.
Contenders: Haydon Hodge, Josh Dugan, Jack Wighton, Anthony Milford
Molyneux - “Dugan was a standout at 20s level and he’s gone on to prove that he was a class above other players at that age.”
Hamilton – “Dugan is an incredibly fierce competitor. He wants to win and more often than not, he does.”
Mulholland - “It’s pretty obvious where Dugan stands in the game as a fullback. Obviously, he’s been playing center as well but in this side I think he’d be fullback.”
Final Choice:
Josh Dugan
25 appearances, 2008-2009
Born and bred in Canberra, Josh Dugan was a key component of the Raiders Premiership winning NYC side in 2008.
Having been called up to play First Grade in 2009, Dugan immediately made an impression as he was named the club’s Rookie of the Year and was a joint winner of the Meninga Medal.
Since leaving the Raiders, Dugan has represented the St George Illawarra Dragons and has joined the Cronulla Sharks for the 2018 season.
Dugan has also become a mainstay for New South Wales and Australia, having made 12 appearances for both sides.
Tomorrow we’ll look through our options on the wing and select two players for the Raiders Greatest NYC Team.
Panelists Biographies
Barry Molyneux was the Raiders NYC long serving team manager.
David Hamilton oversaw junior development at the Raiders from before the NYC’s inception in 2008 until 2015.
Peter Mulholland is the Raiders current Recruitment and High Performance manager, having taken over the role after Hamilton’s departure.
