![The Canberra Raiders are looking to avoid a piece of history repeating. Picture: Keegan Carroll The Canberra Raiders are looking to avoid a piece of history repeating. Picture: Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/154d12d1-efdc-408c-af4b-daad9dd71eb4.jpg/r0_523_5118_3412_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It's an unwanted piece of history the Canberra Raiders are desperately trying to avoid - finishing the NRL regular season with a winning record, but missing out on the finals.
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The Green Machine are focused on winning their remaining home-and-away fixtures to give themselves a chance of forcing their way into the top eight.
That continues with the Newcastle Knights at Newcastle on Sunday.
If the Raiders win at least two of the remaining three games - with the other two against Manly and Wests Tigers - they'll boast a winning record.
That alone probably won't be enough to make the eight. The Raiders need three wins, but will also rely on results involving the Sydney Roosters, South Sydney, Brisbane and Parramatta going their way to play finals football.
Normally a 50-50 record of an equal number of wins and losses is good enough to make the eight, with some years even teams who have lost more than they've won - like last season - making the finals.
The last time a team with a winning record missed out on the NRL top eight was in 1999 - when the Green Machine won 13 and drew one of their 24 only to finish ninth.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said they'd been in semi-final mode for a number of weeks now, treating every game as must-win.
They've won five of their past seven games as they gain momentum towards the back end of the season.
"I think we've been in semi-final mode from a training point of view, the pressure on the result, for a number of weeks now and it hasn't affected the boys," Stuart said.
"If anything we probably had a bit of a disjointed week leading into one of our games, but over the last eight or 10 games our quality of preparation has been a very high standard.
"I go back to [crediting] my senior players in the way they're leading the training environment."
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Stuart was wary of copping the "sting" from a Knights side that's been under fire this week following a disappointing season.
Newcastle captain Kalyn Ponga's been in the spotlight for an off-field controversy, while star centre Bradman Best was dropped for failing to meet team standards.
While the Knights' season was over, Stuart felt they had a dangerous forward pack - something Corey Harawira-Naera mentioned earlier in the week.
"They've got a very experienced forward pack. They're a big team," Stuart said.
"They've still got a lot of youth there that can play football and they've got a very experienced forward pack that are difficult to handle.
"We have to play a really good game of football to win this match.
"There's no element of mindset that we're just going up to get the two points and coming home.
"We've prepared really well and we'll be there ready to get into the trenches. It won't be a game where it's all flair and an easy two points."
NRL ROUND 23
Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Newcastle Knights at Newcastle Stadium, 4pm.
Raiders squad: 1. Xavier Savage, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Matt Timoko, 4. Sebastian Kris, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. Jamal Fogarty, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Zac Woolford, 10. Joe Tapine, 11. Hudson Young, 12. Elliott Whitehead (c), 13. Adam Elliott. Interchange: 14. Tom Starling, 15. Emre Guler, 16. Corey Horsburgh, 17. Corey Harawira-Naera. Reserves: 18. Albert Hopoate, 19. Ata Mariota.
Knights squad: 1. Tex Hoy, 2. Edrick Lee, 3. Dane Gagai, 4. Krystian Mapapalangi, 5. Dominic Young, 6. Anthony Milford, 7. Adam Clune, 8. David Klemmer, 9. Jayden Brailey (c), 10. Daniel Saifiti, 11. Tyson Frizell, 12. Brodie Jones, 13. Jacob Saifiti. Interchange: 14. Phoenix Crossland, 15. Pasami Saulo, 16. Simi Sasagi, 17. Mathew Croker. Reserves: 18. Sauaso Sue, 21. Oryn Keeley.
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