It's the perfect tune-up to get the Green Machine's rampant right edge back purring again.
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Starting with a mouth-watering top-four contest with the Melbourne Storm on Saturday, "Leipana" is back together but with the added brilliance of Batman, I mean Bateman, thrown in as well.
It means the Canberra Raiders' right edge could become even more feared than it was when just Joey Leilua and Jordan Rapana were terrorising defences.
Rapana and Leilua, or Leipana to the gossip pages, have scored 99 tries combined over the past four seasons.
Leilua's return from a career-threatening neck injury will be for his 200th NRL game - a milestone he's had to wait three months for.
It will be just the seventh time the trio have been in the same team together, with Bateman spending some of that time at lock, in the centres and on the left edge.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart hoped the final four games of the regular season would have them ticking nicely come finals time.
"They've played a little bit of football together. Not a lot," he said.
"But hopefully going into the back end they can find a little bit of combination and cohesion together and it can be a powerful edge if we can get that right."
Leilua's been put through a second pre-season since undergoing spinal surgery to repair a bulging disc.
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He was meant to play his 200th game against the Penrith Panthers in Wagga Wagga in May, but injured his neck against Manly the previous week.
Leilua was picked to face the Panthers, but his neck slowly deteriorated until he could barely move on game day.
He debuted as an 18-year-old for the Sydney Roosters in 2010 and played on the big stage that year.
"I think he played a grand final at 18 or 19 and BJ has shown he can be destructive," Stuart said of Leilua.
"He's a big, powerful, explosive player and when his game's on he's a very, very difficult centre and he's one of the top three centres in the game when he's playing well and consistently."
Leilua's return means Nick Cotric will shift to the left wing, with rookie Bailey Simonsson dropping to the utility role on the bench.
Simonsson has exceeded expectations this season, scoring seven tries in 14 games since making his debut in round one.
He's filled in on both wings and Stuart said he could also play centre and fullback in the future.
Stuart said he'll definitely play a role against the Storm, with Raiders co-captain Jarrod Croker hinting he could come on and play the same running role Storm utility Ryan Papenhuzen has been starring in for Melbourne.
"He's not there just to sit there and wait. He's got a lot of NRL football ahead of him with this club," Stuart said.
"He's very versatile - he can not only play winger, he can play centre and fullback as well.
"When I first saw his athleticism and his skill with the football I knew there was a future in front of Bailey ... he's very similar to [fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad]."
NRL ROUND 22
Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Melbourne Storm at Melbourne, 5.30pm.
Raiders squad: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Jarrod Croker (c), 4. Joey Leilua, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. Aidan Sezer, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Josh Hodgson (c), 10. Sia Soliola, 11. John Bateman, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Joe Tapine. Interchange: 14. Bailey Simonsson, 15. Dunamis Lui, 16. Corey Horsburgh, 17. Ryan Sutton. Reserves: 18. Sam Williams, 19. Hudson Young.
Storm squad: 1. Jahrome Hughes, 2. Suliasi Vunivalu, 3. Will Chambers, 4. Justin Olam, 5. Josh Addo-Carr, 6. Cameron Munster, 7. Brodie Croft, 8. Jesse Bromwich, 9. Cameron Smith (c), 10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 11. Felise Kaufusi, 12. Kenneath Bromwich, 13. Dale Finucane. Interchange: 14. Tui Kamikamica, 15. Tino Faasuamaleaui, 16. Joe Stimson, 17. Ryan Papenhuyzen. Reserves: 18. Max King, 20. Sandor Earl.