In collaboration with SharkCast Podcast's Sam Shinazzi, we're proud to launch a new interview series shining a light on the players who helped shape the identity of the Cronulla Sharks.
In each episode, we sit down with one of our Great Whites – those who've worn the black, white and blue with pride – as they share stories of the coaches, characters and unforgettable moments that defined their era.
We kick off the series with a name synonymous with rugby league, especially in Sydney's south. Shark #252, Aaron Raper, played 57 games for the club and proudly represented both his state and country. His insights offer a powerful glimpse into the culture and camaraderie of the Sharks during his time.
Watch the full interview in the player below. The audio version can be heard on Apple, Spotify and all podcast apps.
The Great Whites: Aaron Raper
A local junior from De La Salle Caringbah, Raper joined the Sharks in 1985, spending a number of seasons in the lower grades before making his first-grade debut in 1990, aged just 19, during the Sharks' Round 21 encounter with the Illawarra Steelers.
Called from the bench to replace Dan Stains midway through the second half, he joined a side missing several of its biggest stars – Gavin Miller, Andrew Ettingshausen and Mark McGaw among them. The young Shark's debut proved a tough one, as the team went down 34-0 in what would be his only top-grade appearance that year. Reflecting on his debut, Raper recalled:
"I came on real late, the game was done, and Fitzy (coach Allan Fitzgibbon) wanted to give me a go. I remember one of the first tackles I made... We kicked the ball dead and they had a tap 20 metres out; all I remember is Rod Wishart running straight at me, I remember those big thighs coming at me, he just went boom! Straight over me and they ran 80 metres and scored."
First-grade coach Allan Fitzgibbon used a number of hooking options for the 1991 season, namely Luke Massey and Dan Stains, ahead of Raper, who played the season in reserve grade, crafting his trade under the guidance of coach Kevin Hogan.
A new first-grade coach in Arthur Beetson brought a change of fortune for Raper in 1992, a year that would prove to be arguably the finest of his career. After beginning the season from the bench, Beetson looked to shake things up around the scrum base, with the Sharks managing only one win from their opening five games. His decision saw Raper promoted to the starting side on April 26, 1992, for Cronulla's Round 6 clash with defending premiers the Penrith Panthers, replacing new recruit David Trewhella.
Raper made the most of his opportunity – his crisp service from dummy-half helping steer the Sharks to an 18-14 upset win in front of 10,600 fans. He capped off the performance with the match-winning try in the 63rd minute, on a day remembered not only for the victory but also for the team's first home game of the season and the unveiling of the newly built Endeavour Grandstand – now known as the Andrew Ettingshausen Stand.
Raper featured in 21 matches during the 1992 season – a defining year in Sharks history. For much of the previous decade, club Immortal Gavin Miller had been the cornerstone of Cronulla's attack, with the dummy-half's role primarily to provide swift, clean service to the Goulburn hard man. When Miller was relegated to reserve grade midway through the season and later retired, coach Arthur Beetson sought new attacking options. Raper, alongside fellow local juniors Stuart Topper and Mitch Healey, brought renewed energy and creativity to the side. His impressive form was recognised with selection in the Norwich Rising Stars Team of the Year – a squad celebrating the most outstanding rookies of the 1992 season.
The 1993 season was another consistent year in first grade for Raper, and the final one under coach Arthur Beetson's tenure at the Sharks. His steady performances throughout the season earned him selection in the NSW City Firsts side, which went on to record a commanding 40-4 victory over Country.
Following the season, while recovering from a hamstring strain, Raper was rushed to hospital by club doctor Peter Malouf after experiencing pain in his forearm. He was later diagnosed with a blood clot, believed to have developed during shoulder surgery undertaken late in the year.
The arrival of new coach John Lang in 1994 brought a wave of young Queensland talent to the Sharks, including Paul Green, Craig Greenhill, Adam Maher and Andrew Neave. Raper's blood clot injury from late 1993 severely disrupted his off-season preparation, giving Neave the inside running for the starting hooker role. Raper remained sidelined until August, when he returned in the Sharks' Round 19 reserve-grade clash against the Western Suburbs Magpies.
Although he was unable to reclaim a spot in the first-grade side for the latter part of the season, Raper played a pivotal role in the reserve-grade team's march to the premiership. On 25 September 1994, under coach John Dykes, he helped guide the Sharks to a 14-4 victory over the Newcastle Knights – a day that also saw the President's Cup side claim the premiership.
“We have reunions, the 21s and that reserve-grade side, and I don't go to any other better reunions. It's unique because we are all local juniors and were all best mates – we just did something really special," Raper recalls.
After an impressive rookie season, Andrew Neave remained the Sharks' first-choice hooker to start the 1995 campaign, which began with a narrow loss to the Brisbane Broncos in the preseason Tooheys Challenge Cup Final.
Raper returned to first grade in Round 4 against the Western Reds, a weekend that proved to be one of the most significant in the club's history. While in Perth, the Sharks players faced a defining decision: to leave the ARL and join the rebel Super League, or remain loyal to the ARL. It was a choice that would ultimately require parting ways with the Sharks who had already aligned with the rebel competition.
Raper recalls that night in Perth:
"We got back (to the hotel), I went upstairs, had a shower, came back down and there was no one there. Luke Taper goes to me, ‘Rapes, what are you still doing here, all the boys have gone, they've all gone in limos'. Then Stuart (Raper) pulled me aside and ran through it. I was really disappointed. They'd all been tapped on the shoulder in the dressing sheds and told to stay on the bus. Because my name was Raper, and dad (John) was heavily involved in the game at the time, I believe it was that (why he wasn't approached by Super League)."
Raper's decision to remain with the ARL effectively ended his time at Cronulla, with 1995 shaping as his final season as a Shark.
In one of the more controversial selection disputes of the mid-1990s, Raper found himself at the centre of a political storm during the 1995 Trans-Tasman Test series. Initially chosen by the Australian selection panel – which included Arthur Beetson, Don Furner and John Raper – as the replacement for injured St George hooker Wayne Bartrim, Raper appeared set to make his long-awaited and much-deserved Test debut.
However, the decision was sensationally overturned when coach Bob Fulton reportedly influenced selectors to instead choose Jim Serdaris, who was due to join Fulton's Manly side the following season. Beetson, part of the original panel, was among those deeply frustrated by the reversal, viewing it as a breach of the selection committee's independence.
The controversy prompted Beetson to resign in protest, claiming the coach had overstepped his authority.
Though Raper ultimately missed out on a green and gold jersey, his professionalism and loyalty throughout the saga only enhanced his reputation. Those close to the game, including Beetson, described him as a genuine team man – ambitious, selfless and the embodiment of Cronulla's grit and character.
Despite the mid-season selection controversy, Raper remained a standout performer during the Sharks' charge to the finals. While the side was eliminated in straight sets, his consistency and class throughout the season did not go unnoticed. Raper earned selection in the Australian World Cup squad – the sole Cronulla representative – with Super League-aligned players ruled ineligible for consideration.
Raper played for the Kangaroos on 10 October 1995 against South Africa at Gateshead International Stadium. The Australians ran out 86-6 winners with Raper crossing for a try.
While playing with the Parramatta Eels in 1997, Raper was unfortunately again at the centre of another selection drama in one of Origin's most controversial snubs. Selected for New South Wales in Game 2, Raper was left on the bench for the entire game by coach Tommy Raudonikis, who later claimed he'd "forgotten" to use him. The decision stunned fans and devastated his family, with his mother Carol recalling: "I shed a few tears for him… I don't think I'll ever get over the sight of seeing him sitting there all alone on the bench."
Despite the heartbreak, Aaron remained composed publicly.
"I was upset, everyone in my family was upset, but whatever happened and it's no good being dirty at Tommy Raudonikis or anyone," he later told reporters. “I used to love Tommy as a kid… I would have liked to have got on the field, but I'll take the jumper."
Raper remains heavily involved with the Sharks and heads the Great Whites Committee, a cohort of former players and club staff that are responsible for organising player reunions and fundraisers.
Like all Sharks faithful, Raper rates 2016 as one of the greatest rugby league seasons of his life. Recalling Grand Final day to Shinazzi, he said: "I got all me old jumpers, we all wore them to the game. I had a ticket right behind the posts with all the mad Sharks supporters – it was insane. My kids had a day they'll never forget."
Aaron Raper
Born: 28 July 1971
Position: Hooker
Years at club: 1989-95
Player No: 252
Games for club: 57 in first grade
Debut: Round 21, Sunday 19 August 1990 against Illawarra Steelers at Wollongong Showground
Last game: Semi-final, Saturday 9 September 1995 against Newcastle at the Sydney Football Stadium
Statistics for Cronulla: Scored 28 points in first grade, 16 points in Reserve Grade and 12 points in Presidents Cup
Other clubs: Parramatta (Player No. 561) 1996-98; played 39 games and scored 16 points
Representative: Played for Australia against South Africa in the 1995 World CCity Firsts in 1993, City Origin in 1996, selected for NSW for State of Origin in 1997
