BY DAN

The Canberra Raiders announced that Recruitment and High Performance Manager Peter Mulholland has passed after a long illness.

Mulholland had been a part of the Raiders’ family since 2015, and was a critical part in building (and re-building) the roster that would deliver the 2016 team, the 2019 grand final team and the rebuild after the disastrous 2021 campaign. He always seemed to have a clear idea of how to build a roster in a sustainable way, and an amazing ability to find talent in places where others wouldn’t look. He was a perfect match for Canberra. That he did all this while battling sickness over the last few years just speaks to the character of Mulholland, and was something that I personally admired him for.

His recruitment approach was a skill that he was renowned for across the game. He didn’t just build the Raiders’ squads, but spent time at the Western Reds, Panthers, Dogs, and St George before joining Canberra. Even before he came to Canberra he was renowned for scouring all corners of the game for talent. He only took that further here. There’s an unending list of players that are at the Raiders because of Peter’s eagle eye, a fact acknowledged by Don Furner in the Raiders’ statement.

He was instrumental in turning around our clubs’ fortunes and helping us make the Grand Final with some of his astute and targeted recruitment

Don Furner

We personally held him in such esteem in these pages. When he spoke in public about the roster, he always provided such clarity and insight into the intention of moves and direction of the squad. It was almost as though he was educating us as we went. It was exhilarating, and such a privilege to have fifty years of rugby league experience willing to speak to the community. We appreciated this, and respected his footy brain so much that when a Peter Mulholland twitter account ‘liked’ one of our pieces, we got so excited that it might be him that we got the group chat involved in sleuthing if the great man had acknowledged our existence. I guess we’ll never know. I hold the mere possibility it might be him as a highlight of having this blog.

More than just good at his job, it seems everyone that dealt with him had an unending respect for him. There will be many more kind words from the rugby league community to come. Mulholland had a stunning career spanning the best part of five decades, and he touched every corner of the rugby league world. The Raiders are just a bit of his story.

From our Sportress family to Peter’s, we extend sympathy and condolences at this difficult time. I hope that as they get to see the extent of Peter’s impact on so many lives it gives them some comfort.

Vale Peter Mulholland.

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