This is one for the true believers.
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For only the most ardent Canberra Raiders supporters could have imagined their side would be running out onto Sydney Olympic Park for a long-awaited grand final appearance on Sunday.
Many thought the Sydney Roosters would be there again as they look to become the first team to win successive premiership in a unified competition since 1992-93.
But the Raiders? The side that had bombed out of premiership contention in consecutive years? Surely not.
Yet here we are.
Ricky Stuart, the legendary halfback turned passionate mentor. Jarrod Croker, the kid who grew up barracking for the Roosters before becoming one of Canberra's favourite sons. Josh Hodgson, the hooker from England who has emerged as one of the best in the world.
These men are on the cusp of bringing the Provan-Summons Trophy to Canberra.
These are the games that have defined the Raiders en route to their first grand final appearance in 25 years filled with near-misses, write-offs and heartbreak.
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THE SHUTOUTS
Sure, they can score points, but can they stop them?
It was the biggest question mark hovering over the Raiders before a ball was kicked to open the 2019 season - and they wasted little time in answering it.
Canberra recorded a 21-0 triumph over the Gold Coast Titans in horrible conditions during the opening round of the season.
It was the first time the Raiders had kept a side scoreless since 2013 - and they wasted little time in backing it up. Just one month later Stuart's side flexed its defensive muscle to keep Parramatta scoreless in a 19-0 win.
Then came the Wests Tigers clash during which the Raiders forced their way back into the top four. A memorable try to Jordan Rapana was enough to suggest they still boast every bit of their attacking flair.
But the best part about the round 13 clash wasn't the 28 points they scored, it was the blank space on the other side of the score sheet.
THE THRILLERS
There is no secret Canberra's failure to close out tight games had stood between them and the finals series over the past two years.
Canberra dropped eight games by six points or less this season, but the fact they won six games decided by such a margin proved the difference between being a top four side and an also-ran.
That alone suggests few were more important than the round 24 trip to Shark Park to face an emotion-charged Cronulla outfit in Paul Gallen's final home game.
A win books the Raiders a place in the top four while a loss sees them face a potential elimination final in a fortnight.
So Canberra halfback Aidan Sezer rose to the occasion and buried the self-doubt which had plagued him since he arrived in the capital.
"Over the first few years at Canberra I missed some opportunities and the pressure mounted," Sezer said.
Yet Sezer booted three field goals as he went toe-to-toe with Cronulla counterpart Chad Townsend to secure a thrilling 15-14 triumph and seal a second chance in the finals.
THE PREVIEW
It was the grand final preview before we knew it.
Ask Stuart and he will tell you the Green Machine "didn't need" this game to prove themselves as genuine premiership contenders.
Canberra fell to a 22-18 defeat at the hands of the Sydney Roosters in round 21 yet Stuart and many others walked away confident this side had the makings of a grand final-winning team.
Confident a 25-year wait can be put behind for those within the club he holds so dear.
Confident his side could claim a premiership win for the first time since he was donning the No. 7 jumper and farewelling Mal Meninga in 1994.
Confident they could match it with the best had they been thrown into a grand final the next day. Well, that day has finally arrived.
Where in the past they have scrambled to force their way into finals contention or ridden a wave of momentum into September that turned heads across the league, this year is different.
The Raiders have long proven themselves to be capable of beating the best.
Stuart knows it. Scores of Canberrans bound for Sydney on Sunday morning know it too. The milk is edging closer to the summit once more.
A PERFECT STORM
You could forgive someone for putting a line through the Raiders 30 minutes into their first trip to Melbourne this season, in round 22.
They found themselves 18 points in arrears and spent 20 minutes of the contest with 12 men on the park. It mattered little as a Jarrod Croker try on the cusp of the half-time break revived the Raiders' hopes of scoring a win on the road.
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What came next was nothing short of inspiring as Canberra rallied to claw their way within two points of the competition front-runners before Josh Papalii crashed over to secure a 22-18 win - one of the greatest in club history.
"Before they played Melbourne, you just get a sense they were stalking the top teams, and that is the exclamation mark on their chances," premiership-winner Ben Ikin said.
Their next date proved it was anything but a flash in the pan as Canberra travelled to Melbourne for a qualifying final showdown.
A late John Bateman try saw the Raiders steal a 12-10 victory and book a home preliminary final for the first time in club history.
Now they're here on the big stage.
NRL GRAND FINAL
Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Sydney Roosters at Sydney Olympic Park, 7.30pm. Tickets available from Ticketek.
Raiders: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Nick Cotric 3. Jarrod Croker 4. Joseph Leilua 5. Jordan Rapana 6. Jack Wighton 7. Aidan Sezer 8. Josh Papalii 9. Josh Hodgson 10. Iosia Soliola 11. John Bateman 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Joseph Tapine. Interchange: 14. Bailey Simonsson 15. Emre Guler 16. Corey Horsburgh 17. Dunamis Lui. Reserves: 18. Sam Williams 19. Ryan Sutton 20. Siliva Havili 21. Sebastian Kris.
Roosters: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Latrell Mitchell 4. Joseph Manu 5. Brett Morris 6. Luke Keary 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Sam Verrills 10. Isaac Liu 11. Boyd Cordner 12. Mitchell Aubusson 13. Victor Radley. Interchange: 14. Angus Crichton 15. Zane Tetevano 16. Nat Butcher 17. Siosiua Taukeiaho. Reserves: 18. Lindsay Collins 19. Drew Hutchison 20. Jake Friend 21. Ryan Hall.