The Canberra Raiders’ 2025 premiership campaign didn’t start under stadium lights or with roaring crowds in Las Vegas.
It began in the dirt, dark and discomfort of a military training camp. A brutal pre-season bonding experience that came to define their charge to a first minor premiership since 1990.
Sleep-deprived Raiders players spent three days and two nights hiking and camping in bushland near Canberra.
“It was tough. I haven’t done one of them for a while,” said prop Corey Horsburgh, who has rejuvenated his career after being on the verge of leaving to join Wests Tigers at the end of last season.
“It just kind of made us close and just know that we can get through the tough stuff together.”
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The 2025 Telstra NRL Minor Premiers
The camp, which pushed the players to their limits physically and mentally, laid the foundations for the Raiders’ transformation from a team on the fringe to one that lost just five games all season.
“It actually ended up being a good thing for us,” Horsburgh told NRL.com.
“We had some tough nights, a couple of tough days there, it was good fun in the end and brought us closer as a group and I think that we have seen that in our footy. We are a very close-knit bunch of boys, and we play for each other.”
That chemistry and resilience has been evident in Canberra’s performances.
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They’ve come from behind more times than most, turning deficits into victories through belief and cohesion, something that Horsburgh says was forged during that camp.
“We’ve been behind a fair bit this year and we’ve come back a lot of times,” he said. “We’re just playing our style of footy and it’s working at the moment.
“We are a nice calm bunch of boys at the moment. We’re kind of backing our skill and we’re not scared to play footy.”
Horsburgh captained the Raiders in Sunday’s final regular season match against the Dolphins – a remarkable rise for a player once known for his fiery temperament more than his leadership.
However, the 2025 version of Horsburgh is composed, mature and battle-hardened.
“I think we showed that we are right in this competition from Round 1,” he said.
Corey Horsburgh led the Raiders for the first time against the Dolphins.
©Scott Davis/NRL Photos
“We put on some good performances and obviously had some lows along the way, but we bounced back every time and we’ve had a good year but it’s not over.”
The Raiders will host the Broncos in Sunday’s qualifying final, with the victor just one more win from a place in the decider at Accor Stadium on October 5.
Comparisons to Canberra’s 2019 grand final run are inevitable but Horsburgh, who was part of that squad along with captain Joe Tapine and veteran Josh Papalii, is quick to point out why the Raiders believe that they can go one better this time,
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“We are a different team to then. We play our style,” he said.
“In 2019 there was a few of us in the squad; Huddy (Hudson Young) would have played if he didn’t get into trouble back then, there was a few of us there but it’s no different.
“We’ve just got to play our style, back ourselves, I’m sure we can get the job done when that time comes.”
For Horsburgh, who’s never one to shy away from a confrontation, the chance to help the Raiders go deep into the finals is more than personal achievement – it’s about legacy.
“I don’t think we’ve ever been close since I’ve been here so just to be a part of some history for the club and hopefully, we can make some more history and bring a premiership back here too. That’s our goal,” he said.