In what would turn into one of the best years in the games history, a lot of big guns lined up in 1994 with red hot teams with some of the games best players in their absolute prime of their careers.
The Raiders spent the 1994 season absolutely lighting up the competition with scintillating football that people remember to this day! Brett Mullins exploded for one of the best season of all time, highlighted by a 4 try extravaganza against the Newcastle Knights, and with the incredible amount of attacking power they had across the field, many felt the Raiders were favourites for the Grand Final. They would finish the season 3rd on the premiership ladder behind the North Sydney Bear, and their nemesis that season, the grinding Canterbury Bulldogs.
The Canberra Raiders beat the North Sydney Bears in their first finals match, only to fall to the Canterbury Bulldogs the following week while playing for a place in the Grand Final. As fate would have it, the North Sydney Bear would would stand in the way of the Raiders making the Grand Final the following week. The Raiders would get a convincing 22-9 win over the Bears, and would face their nemesis in the Bulldogs in the Grand Final.
The Canberra Raiders – 1994 Grand Final Team
1 Brett Mullins
2 Ken Nagas
3 Mal Meninga
4 Ruben Wiki
5 Noa Nadruku
6 Laurie Daley
7 Ricky Stuart
8 Quentin Pongia
9 Steve Walters
10 Paul Osborne
11 Jason Croker
12 David Furner
13 Bradley Clyde
14 Brett Hetherington
15 David Westley
Coach: Tim Sheens
Canberra Raiders 36
Tries: Ken Nagas 2, Jason Croker, Laurie Daley, David Furner, Mal Meninga, Noa Nadruku
Goals: David Furner 4/7
Canterbury Bulldogs 12
Tries: Jason Hetherington, Jason Williams
Goals: Daryl Halligan 2/2
David Furner would claim the Clive Churchill Medal as man of the match in what would be a fairytale finish to the club career of Mal Meninga.
This was the Canberra Raiders third Premiership in the clubs history, having previously won in 1989 and 1990.
