Strength in diversity: Canberra Raiders eye first premiership in 22 years

Canberra winger Jordan Rapana says the Raiders have a winning formula ahead of their match against the Tigers on Sunday.

Raiders winger Jordan Rapana. Source: Supplied

Regardless of the result against the Wests Tigers on Sunday, the Canberra Raiders will finish inside the NRL’s top four for the first time since 2003.

And it's the players of Papua New Guinean, Maori, Indigenous and Polynesian backgrounds who have been instrumental to the club’s success this season.

Winger Jordan Rapana says it’s a tight-knit group.

“The culture we have here and the attitude amongst the players, a mix of that in any club is going to be pretty successful,” Rapana said.

The Canberra Raiders won three premierships between 1989 and 1994 but club legend Laurie Daley believes the 22 year long title drought is about to end.

“I probably started to feel that way over the last two or three weeks,” Daley said.

“The better the opposition, the better they play.

“They can step up when they need to and that’s pretty exciting.”