Premier finisher Rapana in scintillating early season form
If the NRL season was to finish today, Kiwi and Raiders winger Jordan Rapana might just about be the favourite for the Dally M Award.
The reigning winger of the year has been in scintillating form on the end of the Canberra backline this season and will loom as a major threat for the Warriors in tonight’s clash at GIO Stadium.
Having bounced around without establishing himself as a regular first grader early in his career, Rapana has found a home in the Australian capital in the past three years and has developed into one of the game’s premier finishers.
The 27- year- old attributes his success to being in the right environment.
“Without sounding too cocky, for me, it’s just playing where I want to be and I’m doing what I can for the team,” Rapana said. “I think it’s just the blokes I’m playing with. I really enjoy my footy at the moment.
“We have a good crew here and we are coached by a wonderful coach [ Ricky Stuart] and I think not only myself but everyone in our top 17 just enjoys their footy and playing with each other.
“Because I’m enjoying playing with these guys, that confidence just comes with it and I would say that’s a big part of the success.
“My biggest goal i s just being consistent. If I can just keep doing what I’m doing week in and week out, that will be a big goal of mine.”
The Raiders have had a tough schedule to start their campaign. They come into tonight’s fixture with a three win- three loss record but on the back of a t wo- game winning streak.
They have racked up plenty of points in the past two weeks and will present the Warriors with a stern test with their up- tempo attack.
“I think in the games we’ve lost, we’ve been our own worst enemy,” Rapana said. “As much as we play an exciting brand of footy, it comes with errors as well. Those games we’ve lost, we’ve handed the ball over far too easily to quality teams like the Broncos, Cowboys and Sharks, and we just needed to hold the ball.
“We’ve shown in the games we’ve won that if we can complete our sets, how dangerous we can be. I think the more games we play, the more confidence we will get and that is starting to show. It’s important we don’t get ahead of ourselves.”
The Warriors also find themselves on a two- game winning streak and with some confidence after the successful return of Kieran Foran to the game.
Rapana knows the Warriors pose a threat.
“They’re a quality team and with Foran back in their side, he has boosted them a lot. As much as they are going well and starting to get on a roll, we just have to worry about ourselves and what we need to do.
“Their t wo halves [ Foran and Shaun Johnson] are definitely the rock of the team. We have identified what we need to do to shut them down and if we can do that, it will play a big part in the final result.”
With the Kiwi connection and a mid- year test not far away, Rapana will have a little extra motivation tonight.
“I’ve got a lot of friends I met in the Four Nations last year. They are quality players and it’s always good to come up against your fellow Kiwis. It should be a good game.”
Because I’m enjoying playing with these guys, that confidence just comes with it.
Jordan Rapana