Canberra Raiders centre Jarrod Croker and rival superboots shape NRL finals race

But he knows every moment he spends honing his goal-kicking craft at Raiders headquarters is one he has to make the most of. This is why.

The Raiders' thrilling win over Cronulla booked the Green Machine a place in the top four and leaves the Sharks in a do-or-die scenario against an emotion-charged Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval this week.

Canberra moved to 32 competition points and left the Sharks on 24, teetering on the edge of the finals picture.

It could have been a far different scenario if Kyle Flanagan had booted any one of his three failed conversion attempts or had Croker missed one of his two.

Instead the Sharks scored more tries than Canberra and fell short for the second time this year thanks to Croker's boot and Cronulla's busted radar.

Had the Sharks converted their opportunities, they would be on 28 competition points - so too would Canberra.

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Instead the Raiders are on the cusp of ending a three-year finals exile with Croker converting 80 of his 105 attempts at a strike rate of 76.2 per cent.

Only four other players have nailed 80 goals this season - Cameron Smith (95 goals at 82 per cent), Latrell Mitchell (88 at 78 per cent), Adam Reynolds (83 at 83 per cent), and Mitchell Moses (80 at 80 per cent).

"I practice all the time. You've got to want to be a goal kicker, you've got to want to kick," Croker said.

"There's days in the Canberra winter when it's freezing cold and you don't want to kick, but you've just got to get it done.

"It's more a mindset than anything, knocking them over and seeing them go through the posts.

"You've got to want to do it, I still love it and I enjoy doing it. I'm striking them quite well at the moment."

That's not to say there are not moments Croker wishes he could go back and change.

"I was frustrated with the one I missed last week [against Manly Warringah] because it could have got us to within two points and we could have got a penalty to even it up," Croker said.

"They are the sort of things that annoy me a bit, but I guess that's being a little bit anal as well.

"It was nice to knock them over [against Cronulla], and it obviously came down to that as well with those guys missing a couple of kicks."

The Raiders have long been destined for a finals return but Croker says they will not take the foot off the accelerator against the New Zealand Warriors at Canberra Stadium on Saturday.

"You can't against the Warriors because they're the sort of side that can come out and put a side to the sword really quickly," Croker said.

NRL ROUND 25

Saturday: Canberra Raiders v New Zealand Warriors at Canberra Stadium, 3pm. Tickets from Ticketek.