The 24-year-old is in the midst of his first full pre-season with the Raiders after he was plucked from relative obscurity last year en route to becoming a grand final player and New Zealand international.

Nicoll-Klokstad ticked off one childhood dream by doing the latter but he has been left to rue a missed opportunity in the form of a grand final defeat.

It is enough to leave the Canberra custodian feeling like "we haven't achieved anything" - a sentiment echoed by Raiders skipper Jarrod Croker.

Now he is determined to reach another level on an individual front to help Canberra's desperate bid to end a 26-year drought.

"Playing for the Kiwis was definitely a childhood dream of mine," Nicoll-Klokstad said.

"I remember very vividly watching the 2008 World Cup, and watching the Kiwis lift that World Cup was where the dream started for me.

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"In terms of 2020, I just want to get back to playing some good, consistent footy. I know I've got to raise the bar.

"Last year we got to the grand final, and that's not really good enough for us.

"We want to go one more and it starts with ourselves first, so I'll be focusing on what I can provide for this team and go from there.

"I don't think the expectation as a team we're feeling. The expectation is on ourselves individually.

"We know as a team we got to the grand final, but that's not good enough. We haven't really achieved anything, and we want to go one more this year.

"There's been a lot of hard work and a lot of emphasis on being accountable for what you can bring to this side. That's where it started, at training."

Nicoll-Klokstad will find himself chiming into a new-look backline with the Raiders adding halfback George Williams and centre Curtis Scott into the mix.

Scott's arrival puts further doubt over the future of right centre Joey Leilua's place in the Raiders side given captain Croker plays on the left edge.

Williams' move from England gives the Raiders an international calibre halfback for Nicoll-Klokstad to run off - not bad considering the year the club's other half is looking to back up.

Five-eighth Jack Wighton represented his state and country in a remarkable season capped off by a man of the match performance in last year's grand final.

Yet Croker believes he will only get better in a huge boost to a Raiders outfit determined to avenge their grand final defeat.

"Jacko has been a really consistent player for us for a long time now, but he grew an extra leg in that No. 6 jersey," Croker said.

"I certainly knew he had it in him, and I am very excited to see what he can do in his second season there, he's only going to get better.

"He has become a really strong leader around the group as well, and he's such a strong defender as well.

"It's so good defending next to him on the edge, it makes life a lot easier out there knowing Jacko is a really strong defender.

"Even having George there now, I noticed in the first couple of sessions we were doing, George is a really strong defender.

"It certainly makes our line a lot stronger."