Financial bonus adds spice to Raiders top-four charge

The Raiders can edge closer to a finals double chance if they beat Manly at Canberra Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

But the extra bonus of finishing as high as possible on ladder at the end of the regular season will be a major cash injection for the Green Machine's coffers.

The Raiders pocketed almost $500,000 when they hosted two finals three years ago after a surge in support, increased ticket sales and sponsorship bonuses.

The Raiders will host at least one final this season and finishing in the top four carries the advantage of preliminary final hosting rights for the first time after the NRL changed its rules this season.

It is expected the Raiders will pocket up to $200,000 per home game in the finals, with merchandise sales and sponsorship deals to add icing on the cake.

The Raiders have finished in the top four just twice since 2003 and just five times since they won their last premiership in 1994.

It means Canberra's showdown with Manly will have added importance, with one win separating the third-placed Raiders and the sixth-placed Parramatta.

"These are the games you want to play in to prepare yourself for those types of games," said Ryan Sutton.

"It's going to be a really tough game because Manly are really in contention for the top four and we're not safe.

"We've just got to take this game like another semi-final game. If we do that, we're not far off. We've just got to train well this week. We're looking forward to getting out there."

MORE RAIDERS NEWS

The Raiders are hoping to attract a crowd of more than 20,000 to their clash against Manly.

If they hit the mark it will be their biggest regular-season attendance in almost a decade as the lime green bandwagon gathers end-of-season momentum.

The club also celebrated a three-year Viking clap anniversary on Wednesday after gambling on a pre-game gimmick at the end of 2016.

The clap has since become the driver for reinvigorating Raiders passion in Canberra after club officials took elements of team rituals in Iceland, Los Angeles, Seattle and Minnesota to make their own popular chant.

Canberra crowd averages have jumped to 14,477 per game this season, the highest mark in 24 years.

The Raiders players are wary of getting caught in the hype after a come from behind win against Melbourne last weekend, refusing to underestimate the fourth-placed Manly.

"It's another team you just can't clock off against, you've got to be on your game for the full 80 minutes," Sutton said.

"As good as the game was on the weekend, we have still not had an 80-minute performance.

"This is where we really want to start taking further steps. We're hoping come finals time we have put an 80-minute performance together."

Sutton will move into the starting side against Manly to replace the injured Joe Tapine, while Joey Leilua will be playing his first game in Canberra since April after recovering from a career-threatening neck injury.

"Joey is such a talented player. He had an outstanding game in his first game back for a while," said Nick Cotric.

"It's good to have strike power out wide like that with him back. We've got the Leipana show back too so they're happy about that."

NRL ROUND 23

Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at Canberra Stadium, 4.05pm. Tickets from Ticketek.

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