Josh Papalii started running in the first half against the New Zealand Warriors and kept going, and going, and going.
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The Canberra Raiders prop is having perhaps the best season of his nine-year career and has emerged as the key to the Green Machine's finals chances.
Papalii scored a crucial try and ran more than 160 metres in the first 40 minutes against the Warriors. He was the spark the Raiders needed when things weren't going to plan.
In the end it wasn't enough to lift the Raiders to victory, losing 24-20 in the last game of the regular season.
Papalii has added durability to his explosive power this season, averaging about 50 minutes per game in the engine room.
It prompted Raiders great and Australian coach Mal Meninga to describe Papalii as "the best front-rower in the game" two weeks ago and it's hard to argue.
Former international Braith Anasta was at Canberra Stadium on Saturday and said: "He's the one they lean on, the rock in the middle.
"He makes his metres every week and comes up with the big play when they need it most. That's what they need when the game is on the line. [He's] probably their most important player moving [into the finals]."
The Raiders were slightly off the pace in the opening exchanges, making uncharacteristic mistakes and trailing the Warriors before Papalii stepped up.
He sprung to action close to the line, bulldozed one Warriors defender and then brushed off Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to hit the front.
By the end of the game he finished with 205 run metres, 76 of those after contact, 17 hit ups and seven tackle breaks.
SELECTION HEADACHES
Do the Raiders parachute Joey Leilua straight back into the side for finals action? Will Joe Tapine be fit to play against the Storm? How bad is Michael Oldfield's shoulder injury?
Those are the questions facing Canberra's coaching staff this week as they weigh up selection for the play-offs.
Leilua is due to make his comeback from a two-match suspension after he was banned for dropping his knees into the back of Manly's Reuben Garrick.
But if Leilua comes back, who misses out? Nick Cotric has filled in at right centre, while Bailey Simonsson has spent plenty of time on the left wing this year.
Leilua has only played a handful of games this year after battling a career-threatening neck injury since May.
Michael Oldfield faces a nervous wait on the shoulder injury he suffered after scoring a runaway try in the second half. It was thought Oldfield had grade two or three damage to his AC joint.
The other changes? Tapine is expected to recover from a rib injury and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jordan Rapana, Sia Soliola and John Bateman were rested.
WARRIORS SCORE TRY OF YEAR CONTENDER
Thirteen passes, 50 metres and zig-zagging across Canberra Stadium led to the Warriors scoring one of the best tries of the NRL season.
Just when the Raiders looked certain to win, Warriors skipper Tuivasa-Sheck scooted out of dummyhalf on the halfway line on the fifth tackle.
He jinked, stopped and stepped his way closer to the line, offloaded and then watched the ball go from sideline to sideline.
When it eventually got back to him after 13 passes, Tuivasa-Sheck spotted a gap in the stretched Raiders' line and scored a cracker.
SCOOTING WHITEHEAD'S EFFORT
The Raiders were a bit sluggish to start the match, but Elliott Whitehead's effort was a reminder of what it takes to win games at this time of year.
Almost everyone else on the field stopped when a Jack Wighton grubber looked certain to go over the dead-ball line.
Whitehead kept chasing, jumped into the air and tapped the ball back into play for Sebastian Kris to score Canberra's first try.
Whitehead celebrated his 30th birthday in the lead up to the last game of the regular season and his teammates chipped in to buy him a new electric scooter to replace the one stolen earlier this year.
AT A GLANCE
NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 24 (Lachlan Burr, Adam Pompey, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Blake Green tries; Issac Luke 4 goals) bt CANBERRA RAIDERS 20 (Sebastian Kris, Josh Papalii, Josh Hodgson, Michael Oldfield tries; Jarrod Croker 2 goals) at Canberra Stadium on Saturday. Crowd: 13,331.