NRL: Canberra Raiders' Joe Tapine avoids suspension ahead of Meninga Medal on Monday night

Fellow Raider Hudson Young thinks Joe Tapine had the Mal Meninga Medal wrapped up by round 10, such has been his 2022 season.

The Raiders' best-and-fairest will be announced on Monday night as the Green Machine takes time out of its preparation for its knockout semi-final against the Eels at Parramatta on Friday night.

Tapine was again brilliant in Canberra's 28-20 victory over the Melbourne Storm in Saturday's elimination final in Melbourne.

He ran for 216 metres in a marathon 67-minute performance that included a try assist, three line-break assists, five tackle busts and three offloads.

It reaffirmed what everyone's known for some time - Tapine's the best prop in the game.

And Young backed him to be named the best Raider as well.

Tapine was put on report for a high tackle on Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes but was not cited by the match review committee in Sunday's charge sheet.

"It's got to be Joey Taps, mate. I think he won it after round 10. He's been phenomenal all year and he was great again [Saturday night]," said Young, whose hot late-season form has him on the brink of Kangaroos selection and the likely main challenger to Tapine's Meninga Medal hopes.

"He's probably the best front-rower in the game. He's big, he's strong, he's powerful - probably the most powerful in the game as well when he wants to break tackles and smash someone. He can do what he wants."

Tapine said he was driven to be the best - not that he thinks anyone is noticing.

The Raiders often fly under the radar in Canberra, away from the self-centred bright lights of Sydney.

The New Zealander felt because he couldn't play State of Origin he didn't get the opportunities to be fully recognised.

But he's got an NRL finals campaign and a World Cup at the end of the year to stake his claim.

It'll no doubt help his current contract negotiations as the Raiders look to lock him down long-term.

"It drives everyone - everyone wants to be the best player in their position," Tapine said.

"I probably don't get put in those conversations much, so I just work hard to try and get my name in there.

"I think I've been doing that this year. It's tough when you're not playing Origin. That's the gold standard in rugby league, if you're playing Origin you get a bit more exposure.

"I've just got to work harder to get that recognition."

On Friday he'll come up against good mate Junior Paulo, who left the Green Machine at the end of 2018 to join the Eels.

The big boppers will go head-to-head in a must-win semi to set up a preliminary final against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville.

Tapine said it was something he was used to doing on a weekly basis, with a couple of mates playing in most NRL teams.

"Junes (Paulo) played his 200^th (on Friday). It's going to be the same tough thing in the middle," he said.

"Me and (Josh Papalii) will start strong as we do and then 'Red' (Corey Horsburgh) and Emre Guler come on and do a job.

"During the game you do all you can - you try and hit them hard and they try and hit you hard - but after the game you're still mates.

"Most teams I have a couple of mates in there, so it's easy."

In bad news for Tapine's opponents, the Raiders prop revealed he was becoming more confident using his skills in the big moments.

He produced a nice offload for Jack Wighton to break the Storm line that led to Matt Timoko's try.

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He also put Canberra co-captain Elliott Whitehead into a hole to score a four-pointer.

"It's just doing what I've been practising all year and being more confident doing it in the bigger moments," Tapine said.

"I feel like our combos in the middle really work and that's a big part of why they're helping me play my good footy as well."

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