NRL: Canberra Raiders get 'tough mindset' lesson in rowing showdown with Aussie Olympians

Raiders winger James Schiller had the whole Green Machine squad cheering at the top of their lungs in a 1500-metre relay on the rowing machine, while Olympic bronze medallist Caleb Antill and gold medallist Alex Purnell were among the rowers that tested their goal-kicking abilities on Monday.

"I think I deserve a week off after that," Schiller joked.

"It's clear to see why they're professionals in their area and we're professionals in ours. It was fun but I'm not going to do that again anytime soon.

"I was flying off my seat. I was struggling. It's good to see that positivity though, especially in the tough time that pre-season is - it lifts the energy."

On paper rugby league and rowing don't have a lot in common, but the squad littered with Olympic superstars spend most of the year based in Canberra when they're not rowing in Europe, presenting a golden opportunity for the Raiders to collaborate with world-class athletes and coaches.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart didn't have to think hard to see the obvious advantage a partnership with Australian rowing could provide his side too.

"Rowing is definitely a wonderful skill and requires technique, but you need a tough mindset, and that's something that you try to build into your football team," Stuart told The Canberra Times.

"It's always good to try and learn off other sports, coaches, and athletes. These gold medal winners, some have achieved so much more than any NRL player or coach.

"Having this collaboration shows that we we respect them as athletes, and we'll do more throughout the year too."

Australian rowing and the Raiders' relationship blossomed during the Tokyo Games in 2021 when Purnell famously used the Green Machine to drive the men's four to gold.

Purnell grew up a North Sydney Bears fan, then adopted the Panthers due to his old Sydney training base, then inspired by the Raiders' 2019 run to the grand final, he added Canberra to the teams he supports, having spent so much time in the capital training on the lake.

"I really jumped on the bandwagon," he said.

"In the Olympics, it got pretty close, I got emotional and yelled out, 'Do it for the Raiders' at the end, and we managed to just hold on and win the gold medal.

"So it's a good little story. It just came to mind under pressure and fatigue."

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