The Green Machine is powering towards the finals with a minor premiership in their kitbag following a 24-10 win over Wests Tigers in front of a raucous GIO Stadium crowd on Saturday.
The minor premiership is the second in club history for the Raiders - their first coming in 1990 when they went on to win the title by defeating the Panthers in the grand final.
"I'm so happy for the club. People don't know how good our club is. They don't see the little things that we do for the players and the club does for its history, This club thoroughly deserves this recognition today," coach Ricky Stuart told Fox League post-match.
"I'm very proud of them, they have just been very consistent all year.
"It has been a wonderful season for them so far and you win this competition but the big one is yet to come. There's a big six weeks ahead of us.
Raiders v Wests Tigers – Round 26, 2025
"There's no pressure on these blokes, we were never meant to be here [in the finals].
"The boys found out last night that they were playing for a minor premiership so it was a game we knew there was such a big result at the end of it and we probably played a bit more to protect the game instead of attacking it."
The Raiders have taken their record 19 wins and four losses and sit four points clear of the Melbourne Storm with one round remaining.
Canberra's final match of the season is against the Dolphins at Kayo Stadium next Sunday.
What a welcome for the Green Machine
Stuart's men will head into September chasing the club's fourth premiership to go with those collected in 1989, 1990 and 1994.
The club's last grand final appearance was in 2019 when they finished the regular season in fourth and progressed to the decider where they went down to the Roosters.
"We're a young side led by some very mature senior players who are leading and the young guys are bringing a lot of fun to it," Stuart said.
"The experience these young blokes are getting is going to be a wonderful asset going into the next three to four years."
The Raiders will host the fourth-placed team at GIO Stadium in week one of the finals and then host a preliminary final at home should they win that match.
A loss in week one of the finals would see them head back to their home ground for a sudden-death semi-final in week two.
