BRL and Canberra
After playing with Valleys in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership, in 1983 Backo was given his first opportunity in Sydney's NSWRFL premiership, playing five matches at second-row for new club, the Canberra Raiders in their second season. He made his debut on 19 March against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Redfern Oval. From 1984, he was a regular member of the starting line-up at Canberra and appeared in his, and the club's, first grand final appearance against Manly in 1987.
While in his final season at Canberra, Backo was first selected to play State of Origin football for the Queensland Maroons in the 1988 series. He played in all three games at prop forward, scoring one try in game II and two tries in game III. Queensland won the series in a three game whitewash. In games II and III Backo won consecutive man-of-the-match awards, one of only a handful of players to do so. Selected for the test series against Great Britain played in Australia in 1988, Backo was the first Australian forward to score tries in all three Tests of an Ashes series. At the end of the 1988 season Backo was the Dally M front rower of the year. During his career with Canberra, Backo scored a total of 15 tries in 115 first-grade matches.
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