The Canberra Raiders would like to thank the seven players who have departed throughout and at the conclusion of the 2020 season for their contribution towards the club.
John Bateman, Nick Cotric, Michael Oldfield and Andre Niko are all departing the club, while Luke Bateman, Jack Murchie and JJ Collins all departed midway through the season.
John Bateman #354
The English International had an outstanding debut NRL season in 2019, playing in the backrow as the Raiders made the Grand Final.
John’s success was recognised as he was named the 2019 Dally M Second Rower of the Year.
After off-season shoulder surgery, John returned to the field midway through the 2020 season and picked up where he left off as he helped the Raiders reach the Preliminary Final.
John has decided to return to England and link up with his former club the Wigan Warriors. We wish him all the best for the future.
Nick Cotric #341
Having come through the Raiders junior system, Nick Cotric made his Raiders debut at the start of the 2017 season and made 93 appearances for the Raiders.
In that period, Cotric scored 46 tries and won the 2018 Coaches Award and was also named the 2017 Rookie of the Year.
In 2019, Nick made his representative debuts for both New South Wales and Australia.
Nick decided to move to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs for 2021 and we wish him all the best.
Michael Oldfield #346
Michael Oldfield joined the Raiders midway through the 2017 season from the Penrith Panthers and played 24 games in his time at the club.
In 2018, Oldfield was named the Clubman of the Year and in round two the former Tongan international brought up his 50th NRL appearance.
We would like to thank Michael for his time in green and wish him all the best for the future.
Andre Niko
Local junior Andre Niko came through the Raiders junior pathways and has been with the NRL squad the last two seasons.
The winger suffered a troubling knee injury midway through the 2019 season while playing NSW Cup but returned to full training towards the end of the 2020 regular season.
We wish Andre the best of luck in the future.
Luke Bateman #328
Having arrived at the club as a junior, Luke Bateman made his Raiders debut in 2015 and played 71 matches for the club.
The Queenslander left the club in May as he decided to take some time away from the game.
Bateman was named the 2015 Rookie of the Year and served the club with distinction in his six seasons as part of the NRL setup.
We wish Luke all the best in his future endeavours inside and outside of rugby league.
JJ Collins #360
JJ Collins joined the club ahead of the 2019 season and made his debut and sole appearance for the Raiders against the Brisbane Broncos in round six.
Collins made the tough decision to depart the club and return home to Queensland with his young family due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We wish JJ all the best in the future.
Jack Murchie #352
Jack Murchie played for the Raiders at Under 20’s level before making his NRL debut in 2018 against the Sharks.
Murchie went on to play three games for the Raiders before linking up with the New Zealand Warriors upon the resumption of the 2020 season.
We wish Jack all the best as he continues his career with the Warriors.
