There are some quality contenders at prop for our Greatest Raiders Team in the National Youth Competition. Today, we ask our panellists to decide which two should get a starting place in our side.
Contenders: Nick Skinner, Sam Mataora, Shannon Boyd, Tevita Pangai Jr, Paul Vaughan, Emre Guler
Molyneux - “I don’t think that Boyd got the accolades that he should have in the Under 20s. His workrate was unbelievable for a big man. What he did off the ball makes him stand out to me. Tevita Pangai Jr was just a class footballer. He played a lot of backrow but was equally at home in the front row. His footwork at the line was unbelievable. He was always dangerous.”
Mulholland – “The props are Shannon Boyd and Paul Vaughan. Boyd’s played for Australia so that goes without saying while Paul Vaughan was St George’s Members Player of the Year.”
Hamilton – “My props are Shannon Boyd and Paul Vaughan. Vaughan has great speed and agility but still is quite a big man. Boyd is incredibly tough and is a handful for any defence.
Final Choices:
Shannon Boyd
43 appearances, 2010 – 2012
Having come through the Raiders junior pathways, Shannon Boyd began his stint in the NYC in 2010.
During his first season with the team Boyd played six matches but went on to establish himself in the side over the next two seasons.
Since making his NRL debut, Boyd has continued to make leaps and bounds which culminated in being selected by Australia for the 2016 Four Nations Tournament where he made four appearances.
Paul Vaughan
45 appearances, 2010 – 2011
Born and raised in Canberra, Paul Vaughan is another example of a local junior who has gone on to carve a successful career in the NRL.
Having played nearly every NYC match during his two year stint with the side, Vaughan progressed even further during his time in the Intrust Super Premiership with Mounties before claiming a place in the Raiders NRL squad.
Vaughan made 85 appearances for the Raiders before moving to St George Illawarra where he has been mentioned as a potential representative player due to his outstanding performances.
Canberra Raiders Greatest NYC Team
1. Josh Dugan
2. Edrick Lee
3. Jarrod Croker
4. Jack Wighton
5. Nick Cotric
6. Anthony Milford
7. Sam Williams
8. Paul Vaughan
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10. Shannon Boyd
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Bench
14.
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17.
Tomorrow, we will look through our options at hooker as we continue selecting our 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.
