Canberra Raiders forwards Sia Soliola will let game decide his future

Soliola might be coming towards the end of his career, but the 34-year-old wants to be part of a new generation of Green Machine success and realise his premiership dream.

He's played more than 300 senior games across the NRL and English Super League since making his debut for the Sydney Roosters in 2005.

Soliola said it was a tough pre-season as Raiders coach Ricky Stuart got his players ready for a faster game thanks to the NRL's new rules.

The Raiders prop felt that was the major difference he noticed, rather than any major shift in tactics.

He's certainly looking fit ahead of the Green Machine's season opener against the Wests Tigers at Canberra Stadium on Sunday.

"The intensity level in the fitness is the obvious one. Not too much tactically, but we've done a hell of a lot of running," Soliola said.

"Especially in the short amount of time. This is probably one of the fittest off-seasons - it nearly broke me I've got to be honest about that one.

"But the current playing group, we've got a really good bunch.

"It's constantly been improving on a year-to-year basis at the clubs and that's what keeps me going.

"I'm 35 this year and they're just a really exciting bunch you want to be part of."

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Soliola's off-contract at the end of the season, with the big-hearted forward taking it on a yearly basis as to whether to continue.

The Raiders are keen to keep Soliola on in some capacity whenever he decides to pull the pin.

Soliola said the game itself will let him know when that will be.

"I've been asked that question a lot," he said.

"I think the game will be an indication of what the decision will be like.

"Given the new rules and how the game pans out this year - obviously injuries and rosters will come into play and how they sit.

"How I get a realistic gauge on my decision will be how I perform.

"If I can't keep up with the play or the standards the Raiders want that will be an obvious decision."

It's the Raiders' 40^th season in the competition and Soliola hoped they would be able to add to the three premierships from the glory days.

Soliola said part of that was learning to handle expectations.

He felt they'd been a team where the underdog tag sat comfortably in the past and they'd wanted to ensure that was no longer the case.

The Raiders made the 2019 NRL grand final and were knocked out at the preliminary final stage last year.

They wanted to keep that momentum going by being there come finals time once again.

If successful it will be the first time they've made the play-offs three years in a row since 2004.

"If we have more consistent seasons we're going to have to learn how to handle this type of pressure," Soliola said.

"We've always been a club that's enjoyed the tag of being the underdogs and that siege mentality, but the past couple of seasons we're going to have to learn to deal with those expectations.

"With the group that we've got and the environment and culture that we've got, we've learnt to come here and focus on what we really need to focus on."

NRL ROUND ONE

Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Wests Tigers at Canberra Stadium, 4.05pm.