It's safe to say Dean Lance likes John Bateman. A lot. Was spewing he didn't get to meet him at the Canberra Raiders' season launch.

Not surprising really. There's a lot to like about "Batty". Hard as nails. Skilful. Cheeky as a Pom. Goose step. Did I mention hard as nails?

But most of all he wears the No.11. At the moment anyway. Started in 13, might go back there when Joe Tapine returns. But for now, No.11.

That was Lance's number. It wasn't always either. Five-eighth was his thing when he first arrived in Canberra. But not for long.

Then it was 13, then it was 11. Not because of injury, but instead due to the emergence of one Bradley of the Clyde.

So 11 it is for the greatest game of all. The greatest grand final of all. When the Raiders took down the Tigers.

But the similarities go beyond just the number. They both tackle above their weight. They had to.

Lance stood at 178 centimetres and 80 kilograms. (According to the all-knowing Wikipedia.) Bateman at 185cm and 96kg.

This week is no different as the Raiders take on arch-nemesis Penrith out in the Wagga Wagga.

Bateman, up against Viliame Kikau. Another No.11. Not so small. 195cm and 119kg. Crikey, I might just check those numbers. Sorry Batty, it looks like they're right.

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But it's not the size of the Pom in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the Pom.

"He's a good player that Kikau ... but I tell you what, the little English fella goes alright too," Lance said.

"The No.11. It's a proud tradition at No.11, that's my number, and I'm very happy to see blokes like David Barnhill, Josh Papalii and now John Bateman wearing No.11.

"He's a big unit [Kikau] isn't he. I'll look forward to seeing that.

"The little Englishman won't take a backward step and he can tackle. And he'll rip in and go hard and it'll take a very good player on the other side to get on top of him.

"Whether Kikau's that player, may well be, but we won't die wondering with either of them."

How does Bateman rate in the NRL scheme of things? Lance goes to say he'll take some time to settle in. Checks himself. Reckons the settling's done.

Hard to disagree. One try. Three line breaks. Six offloads. 121 run metres per game. 244 tackles. One falcon fake.

"He's a terrific player ... he's proving now to be one of the best [in the NRL]," he said.

"To say once he gets used to the speed of the game, but I think he's already got that sorted.

"He's an excellent player. At a pinch he could play five-eighth, centre, back row, hooker."

That Bateman connection's not the only one Lance shares with the modern day Green Machine. There's the captaincy as well.

Lance started '89 with the armband, but got dropped during the season opening the way for Mal Meninga to take over.

When Lance returned he slotted in as Mal's right-hand man.

It's a little similar to the current Canberra captaincy. First there was Jarrod Croker in charge. But now Josh Hodgson has joined him as co-captain.

Lance sees it as a natural fit. Hodgson in charge of the middles. Croker of the backs. Both excellent leaders in their own right.

It seems to be working too. Given the Raiders are off to their best start since 2005.

"You look at the way they play the game - Hodgson controls the ruck and does everything from in there. And Crokes is the captain making decisions out in the backs," Lance said.

"Kick for goal here and some really good things as well with the football. But they're both doing what Mal and I did.

"They're both getting on with their game, whether or not they've got a 'C' beside their name.

"Croker's been a terrific captain for the club and he will be in the future, and destined to be one of the all-time great players of the club. If you look at the numbers."

One of the all-time greats. Sitting in amongst the Mal Meningas, the Ricky Stuarts, the Laurie Daleys. The heart and soul of the 89 premiership team.

But it's not 89 that's Lance's best memory of 89. It's 87.

The year the Raiders made their first ever grand final. Only to go down 18-8 to Manly in the decider.

But lessons were learnt and the foundation set for what happened in 89. What happened in the change rooms at half-time of 89 when the Raiders were down, but not the chips.

Why they overran the highly fancied Tigers to claim the top prize.

"We were new kids on the block and Manly were pretty much old hats at it," Lance said.

"I don't know whether we got too excited, but we certainly played a lot of our game before the game and learnt a lot of lessons from that.

"The town was pretty excited about the team making it and we were doing street parades and everything before the game.

"When 89 happened it was all about business, back to business, back to business.

"Down 12-2 at half-time and we got back into the dressing room and there was no yelling, screaming, panicking from anybody.

"It was just business as usual, 12-2's not a drama."

It didn't end at 89 for Lance. That was 1990. After another premiership. And with 199 first-grade games to his name.

So how does six go into 13 and then into 11 anyway?

It seems a Parramatta Eels legend was to blame. Or thank.

"Don Furner watched us play Parramatta one day and we got beaten by 50 and Brett Kenny towelled me up," he said.

"And he said, 'I don't think you're a five-eight, I think we might try you in the back row. You can tackle, you just can't catch them.'

"And it went from there."

NRL ROUND EIGHT

Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Penrith Panthers at McDonalds Park, Wagga Wagga, 3pm.

Raiders squad: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Jarrod Croker (c), 4. Joey Leilua, 5. Bailey Simonsson, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. Sam Williams, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Josh Hodgson (c), 10. Dunamis Lui, 11. John Bateman, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Ryan Sutton. Interchange: 14. Siliva Havili, 15. Hudson Young, 16. Sia Soliola, 17. Corey Horsburgh. Reserves: 18. Aidan Sezer, 19. Michael Oldfield, 20. Emre Guler, 21. Jack Murchie.

Panthers squad: 1. Caleb Aekins, 2. Josh Mansour, 3. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 4. Waqa Blake, 5. Malakai Watene-Zelezniak, 6. James Maloney (c), 7. Nathan Cleary, 8. James Tamou, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Tim Grant, 11. Viliame Kikau, 12. Isaah Yeo, 13. James Fisher-Harris. Interchange: 14. Sione Katoa, 15. Liam Martin, 16. Moses Leota, 17. Reagan Campbell-Gillard. Reserves: 18. Jarome Luai, 19. Kaide Ellis, 20. Dylan Edwards, 21. Tyrell Fuimaono.