Winners and losers: Papali'i sends warning while Raiders miss cash prize

The Canberra Raiders prop produced an impressive 20 minute stint during Sunday's trial against the North Queensland Cowboys at Seiffert Oval.

Papali'i ran for 79 metres from seven carries to lay the foundation for his side's early 14-4 lead. The veteran has endured a gruelling pre-season, shedding multiple kilograms to ensure his body is firing throughout the season.

While the prop enjoyed an early shower after his imposing stint, Raiders captain Elliott Whitehead said the performance is a sign of what's to come this season.

"He's been one of the best props in the game for many years," Whitehead said. "This will be my ninth season at the club and he's been there with the best year in, year out.

"He's come back in great shape. He's worked hard to get his weight down and he showed tonight he's going to be a big impact for us again this year. He got 20 minutes under his belt for his first hit out and he was pretty good."

The Raiders spiritual home was in picture-perfect condition on a glorious Sunday afternoon in Queanbeyan.

An impressive crowd of 6048 turned out for the pre-season contest to watch the 36-26 loss to the Cowboys. Fans packed into the western stand and the eastern hill, with spectators enjoying a touch of nostalgia at Seiffert Oval before streaming on to the field to mingle with players after full-time.

"It was a massive crowd out there," Whitehead said. "You could feel them and hopefully we can get off to a good start and they can head over to [Canberra Stadium] and get behind us over there.

"When that's pumping, it's like a fortress for us so to have them behind us is great and they turned up in numbers today."

While Canberra Stadium remains the Raiders' current home, Sunday showed the appetite for matches at Seiffert Oval.

The club should endeavour to play a pre-season game at the storied ground each year, with a competition match sure to be a hit as well.

Canberra entered the clash needing a win and two bonus points to secure the Pre-Season Challenge title and a $100,000 prize.

The loss, however, ensured the Brisbane Broncos held on to claim highly sought after the trophy.

We're sure Ricky Stuart isn't too disappointed, given his past opinions on pre-season matches and the fact he wrapped most of his stars in cotton wool on Sunday afternoon.

Whitehead revealed the title was not discussed through the week, with the team instead focused on the main prize on offer in October.

Raiders fans hoping for their first viking clap of the season were left disappointed, with the pre-game tradition put on ice for the trial.

Fear not, the viking clap will return for the Green Machine's first home game of the NRL season for what is sure to be an even bigger occasion.