A team little over 18 months removed from collecting their third consecutive wooden spoon hosts the reigning premiers in a prime time television slot.
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The hosts put on a show and run all over the kings of Bondi to send the 25,929-strong crowd into raptures.
These scenes out of Newcastle last week are just what rugby league chiefs are desperate to create all around the competition.
They are the scenes rugby union bosses should be watching on replay as they try to figure out how to lure the crowds back to Super Rugby games.
Because right now, they are falling well behind. The ACT Brumbies have warned things will be very dire if their ill-fated bid to win more support continues to stall.
But the Canberra Raiders? The Green Machine is rolling in a groundswell of support in their attempt to return to the finals.
No longer are the Raiders a club some NRL officials wish would just wither on the vine.
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg cares. That's why he was in town to tour the Raiders' new $19 million facility in Braddon, which is expected to be finished by the end of the year.
That's why he caught up with the Raiders leadership group to talk about their concerns in rugby league, determined to show there are no faceless men in suits running the game. That's why he is making his way around to every club in the NRL to do the same.
That's one of many reasons the fans are turning up in droves to Canberra Stadium for Raiders games - they know their club matters.
In the past they haven't felt that way, instead believing the club has been neglected largely on account of its location.
"I think that's probably a fair criticism," Greenberg said.
"I understand teams who aren't based in Sydney [who feel that way], and Ricky and I have had this discussion many times, feel like sometimes they don't get the same level of attention.
"I understand that, but it's important why we keep turning up. It's important I'm here. It's important this is not an annual occurrence, that I am here regularly.
"We've got a pretty big footprint, so it's important we get around and have those conversations. It's why those conversation with players are important.
"If that's the perception of how they feel, we've got to address it. We try to treat all our 16 clubs equally, but the fact of where we're based and what our time commitments are means we do have to spend more time thinking strategically about how we do get out there.
"I said this to the players, if there is something you want to talk about that is on your mind, it may not need me coming to Canberra. It might be that we have a coffee before your captain's run when you're at a game in Sydney.
"We're all on the same page here. To genuinely grow the game, it requires the NRL and all 16 clubs together. We've got the same view."
That determined outlook is just what Rugby Australia needs to adopt to help the country's Super Rugby clubs win back the admiration of the public.
The ACT Brumbies' average crowds are at their lowest point in history with one home game remaining this year.
They are leading the Australian conference and sit on the cusp of securing a home final but have welcomed an average of just 8332 per game.
Brumbies coach Dan McKellar is at a loss, adamant the club shouldn't pay the price for Australian rugby's off-field woes or frustration with Super Rugby administrators.
They are not alone. The dominance of New Zealand-based franchises is rarely reflected in the grandstands when they play against sides from abroad.
South African crowds are slipping and those same clubs are not a major box office attraction in Australia.
SANZAAR and Rugby Australia officials need to do something. The time has come to reinvent the wheel, because the old ones are not working on these roads.
The game's officials must pour cash into Super Rugby franchises so they can bolster their game day experience in a bid to lure a few more through the gates.
Waste of money? Nope. Look at how the Raiders have capitalised on the popularity of the Viking clap. Now they have the horn, blown by former Canberra players to welcome the Green Machine onto the park.
Raiders fans love it, rival fans wish they had something like it. Even Greenberg has fallen for the flames and the clap that reinvigorated the club's experience at Canberra Stadium.
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart knows first-hand how important these conversations with the likes of Greenberg and ARL Commission chairman Peter Beattie are.
"It's important they understand what the club's messages are, and it's important the clubs understand the goals and challenges our main body represent," Stuart said.
"The more you get together and communicate, the more everybody is on the same page, the better for the game.
"From our point of view, it's good to have that relationship with our key people in the game."
Better for the game. There it is.
Sport administrators cannot afford to be faceless men in suits. It leaves players, fans, and clubs disillusioned.
It wasn't that long ago former Brumby Scott Fardy slammed SANZAAR administrators for the way they handled the contraction of Super Rugby.
If Super Rugby is to get back on its feet in Australia, the powers that be must do something to show they mean business.
Or, simply wait until the game drifts into dire straits and hit the panic button when the battle is already lost.
Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
