Jordan Rapana came to Canberra with a dream of playing for the ACT Brumbies, but the Canberra Raiders star says he has no regrets about walking away from a rugby union chance because his heart belongs in the NRL.
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The Raiders' try-scoring machine will go down as the one that got away from the Brumbies and Australian rugby after he moved to the capital three years ago to work with Wallabies great Stephen Larkham.
Had the Raiders not come knocking, Rapana could easily be wearing Wallabies gold against Argentina on Saturday night.
Instead, he's working with another champion, Canberra playmaker Ricky Stuart, in the Green Machine's bid to beat the Penrith Panthers at Canberra Stadium.
Rapana is arguably the best winger in the NRL this year, scoring 21 tries in his 25 games, but his original Canberra mission was to earn a Brumbies contract when World Cup-winner Jake White was the coach.
"I didn't know too much about Jake, I came to Canberra because of Larkham," Rapana said.
"The Brumbies offered me a one-year deal to stay in union but I was over rugby at that stage. I wanted to go back to league and [Larkham] was pretty understanding.
"I knew where I was on the Brumbies pecking order and I just felt there was a bigger and better opportunity for me at the Raiders.
"I thought about the decision long and hard and looking back at it now, it was the right choice. I don't sit back and wonder what if at all."
Rapana, 27, has formed a devastating right-side combination with centre Joey Leilua and is one half of the growing "Leipana" bromance.
But the Rapana felt just as at home with the Brumbies having grown up with Super Rugby duo Jordan Smiler and Robbie Abel.
Rapana was living with Abel and his family in Canberra's south while training with the Brumbies and playing for Royals in the capital's premier rugby division.
"I remember sitting with Jordy in the lounge room when he was thinking about going to the Raiders," Abel said.
"I'm stoked with what he's doing now, he's killing it. He had such natural ability, I've got no doubt he would have made it in Super Rugby.
"The Raiders were just the right place and the right time. He's the one that got away from a few teams."
Rapana has taken a long, winding road to the NRL finals. He started his career as a teenager at the Gold Coast Titans and scored five tries in five matches before taking a two-year break to complete a Mormon mission in Wales and England.
When he returned to Australia he joined the Western Force to chase a rugby career before moving to the Brumbies to work under Larkham as well as moonlighting as a barman and barber.
But Rapana grew frustrated with complex rugby union laws and possession game plans rather than doing what he does best – running the ball.
"There are lot of things in rugby you can't do that you can do in league. I definitely find league to be more second nature for me," Rapana said.
"The biggest thing for me in union was playing both left and right sides. I remember going to Raiders training for the first time and [then coach] David Furner asked me: 'What side do you play'?
"I said: 'Both'. The boys probably thought, who's this cocky kid coming in. But I feel just as comfortable on either side of the field and that's because of rugby."
The Panthers are regarded as one of the most exciting teams in the NRL and have won their past six games in a row.
However, they scored 125 points less than the Raiders in the regular season and finished sixth on the ladder.
Rapana and Leilua have combined for 32 tries this year. Rapana needs just one more try to equal Raiders legends Noa Nadruku, Brett Mullins and Jason Croker for the most tries by an individual in a season.
"I don't like to live in the past, dwell on things or live with regrets," Rapana said.
"I'm just looking at the positives. Maybe if I went with the Brumbies I might have missed out on a spot and I wouldn't have this opportunity now with the Raiders."
