Raiders recruit big names in hopes of pushing towards NRRRL premiership

TWEED Coast Raiders have recruited big-name players in hopes of winning the club’s first Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League premiership since 2018.

Luke Campbell and Cale Rowston will bolster the forward pack, returning to the club where they were pivotal in the Raiders’ 2018 grand final win.

Former NRL playmaker Cameron Cullen will also rejoin his junior club, having previously played in the halves for the Gold Coast and Manly with more signings expected in the coming weeks.

Cullen had a decorated career at Queensland Cup level, winning a premiership with the Burleigh Bears and as captain of the Redcliffe Dolphins.

“We’ve been wanting to get these guys back for a couple of years now,” club vice-president Owen Fredericks said.

“Cameron Cullen is my cousin, and he’s moved back to the region and wants to play one last season before he retires.

“Everyone wants to be in a winning team and having these guys here creates a bit of a domino effect once you start announcing that they’re back playing.”

Former NRL player Cameron Cullen will return home after signing with the Tweed Coast Raiders this season. Photo: DAVID ROWLAND/AAP

The Raiders were coached by former NRL front-rower Brent Kite during their premiership-winning campaign.

It featured a side dominated by local talent, mainly from the Cabarita area.

Key players Guy and Drew Lanston remain central to the club, alongside Daniel Ross, who returns full-time this season after competing in the Queensland Cup.

Fredericks is optimistic about restoring Cabarita’s Les Burger Field as a fortress, where the Raiders rarely lost between 2018 and 2020.

The team will be coached by James Shean who takes on the role after several seasons mentoring the under-18s team.

He will be crucial in bringing in the next crop of local juniors including halfback Beau Shearer, hooker Max Fife and lock Cohen Aitken.

“We haven’t had depth at the club for a few years, and we have a solid group of young guys coming through now,” Fredericks said.

“The only way to have success at the club is to invest in your local boys and make sure you have 17 guys who will buy into the direction you want to go.”