But then the competitor kicks in and she's glad the Green Machine has the strongest female presence in the league. It means their opponents are limiting their potential.

You don't play for Australia if you're not a competitive beast after all.

Fanning, Yvonne Gillett and Bronwyn Fagan are part of the Raiders' seven-person board that's leading the way when it comes to gender balance.

Each brings a different set of skills to the boardroom table.

As Raiders chief executive Don Furner's always saying, Fanning knows more about rugby league than the rest of the board put together.

She was a pioneer in the women's game and played 26 Tests for Australia, but she's also an Indigenous leader and a businesswoman.

Not to mention the ACT Australian of the Year.

Gillett has been involved with the Raiders Group for about 30 years and was the chief financial officer there.

Fagan's a lawyer, while also bringing sporting experience to the fold having worked as legal counsel at the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority and been part of Australia's 2006 Winter Olympics shadow team for bobsleigh and skeleton.

Together they form the shining light in the NRL, which is celebrating women-in-league round as the Raiders tune up for the finals against the New Zealand Warriors at Canberra Stadium on Sunday.

Fanning hoped the other clubs would realise the errors of their ways.

"Our board has the best representation of women in the game. It's a good thing to be able to showcase," she said.

"Yvonne and Bronwyn have exceptional skills that any board would be happy to have so it's a good way to show [while] diversity targets are great, but finding the people of that sort of skill set is even more impressive.

"There's plenty of women with a range of skills that are part of each of the major clubs.

"They're missing out on a really important lens, not just with their work skills, but the growing participation numbers of women in the game.

"On one hand I'd like to have every club have that representation, but on the other I'm happy for us to have that advantage ... they're just limiting their talent pool if they don't look at half the population."

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While Fanning joined the Raiders board last year, Fagan has been there since 2016 and said it was an easy board to be a part of.

She said there's an excellent culture in the boardroom and that extends to the players changerooms - where Raiders coach Ricky Stuart insists no one should feel alienated.

It's been an exciting ride since Fagan came on board, with the Green Machine charging to the preliminary final in 2016 and then the grand final last year.

"The culture in the board, but also the culture in the organisation, is very inclusive and they select people not because of [gender]," Fagan said.

"Gender's one thing, but there's age, background, skill set, a whole bunch of other things and the Raiders when they think about who they bring on to the board they think about the whole package to fit what you can contribute."

While the Raiders' plans for an NRLW team have taken a hit due to the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, Fanning will ensure they come to fruition in the next couple of years.

She's determined to see the day when she's not only supporting the Raiders in the NRL, but their women's team as well - especially given Canberra's strong history of supporting women's sport.

"I've got my eyes into the future on our NRLW side. I've been watching the work that locally we've put into the women's game to grow local talent," Fanning said.

"In the next year or two we should at least be having the license stuff sorted."

Fagan also revealed her competitive spirit when asked what was next on her agenda.

Having enjoyed the ride to last year's grand final, she not only wants to get back there. She wants to go one step further and be part of Canberra's first premiership since 1994.

The Green Machine have put themselves in the conversation again this year with their first back-to-back finals campaigns since 2004.

"Obviously we'd love to win a premiership wouldn't we," Fagan said.

"I was so proud of the boys last year how they managed the occasion of the grand final mentally.

"Even though we didn't win and there was some controversies I was so proud of how they behaved and how they handled it afterwards as well."

NRL ROUND 19

Sunday: Canberra Raiders v New Zealand Warriors at Canberra Stadium, 2pm.

Raiders squad: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Semi Valemei, 3. Jarrod Croker (c), 4. Jordan Rapana, 5. Nick Cotric, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. George Williams, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Siliva Havili, 10. Dunamis Lui, 11. John Bateman, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Joe Tapine. Interchange: 14. Tom Starling, 15. Ryan Sutton, 16. Hudson Young, 17. Corey Harawira-Naera. Reserves: 19. Matt Frawley, 20. Matt Timoko.

Warriors squad: 1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (c), 2. Adam Pompey, 3. Adam Keighran, 4. Peta Hiku, 5. Hayze Perham, 6. Kodi Nikorima, 7. Chanel Harris-Tavita, 8. Lachlan Burr, 9. Karl Lawton, 10. Isaiah Papali'i, 11. Jack Murchie, 12. Tohu Harris, 13. Jazz Tevaga. Interchange: 14. Wayde Egan, 15. Adam Blair, 17. Tom Ale, 18. Josh Curran. Reserves: 20. Paul Turner, 21. Gerard Beale.