The Canberra Raiders fell one game short of the Grand Final last year when they narrowly went down to the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park.

Now that they know just how good they are, The Green Machine are aiming for a better finish in 2017.

As a team they’re “hungry” and Raiders star winger Jordan Rapana says they’re ready to hand the people of Canberra their first title since Mal Meninga’s 1994 outfit.

“We’ve just got to take each week as it comes. We proved critics wrong last year and we did really well. But that’s last year, and we’ve got a new year ahead of us,” he said.

“Fortunately for us, we’ve pretty much got the same team so we’ll be taking off from where we left last year. I know I’m hungry and I know the other boys are hungry for a premiership so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Canberra’s first outing of preseason will be at the Auckland Nines before a clash with Newcastle at their spiritual home, Seiffert Oval.