Ricky Stuart is hell bent on making sure his Canberra Raiders continue their amazing 2016 form and it all started almost immediately after their preliminary final loss to the Melbourne Storm.

The Raiders almost did the unthinkable and qualify for the grand final but now Stuart and his coaching staff are focused on 2017.

Great to see Junior Paulo back on deck today 💪👊 #BleedGreen pic.twitter.com/QCu0kRnxpi

— Canberra Raiders (@RaidersCanberra) December 13, 2016

“We started planning the week after the season finished. We had a planning session before the staff departed on break,” Stuart told Raider Magazine.

“It was important all the staff had time away, everybody is back now and putting everything into the process of ensuring the players return to their peak form.”

The Raiders are banking on halves combination Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer playing long minutes together and English star Josh Hodgson to continue his impressive form.

If they can do that, a minor premiership isn’t out of the question.