They scored 34 tries between them in 2016, but Jordan Rapana has vowed to make his combination with Joey Leilua even better at Canberra this year.

Rapana and Leilua shot the Raiders to within one week of the NRL grand final last season, as they terrorised opposition left-edge defences.

They were also the sixth best right-edge defensive pairing in the league according to Fox Sports Stats, allowing just 16 tries to originate on their far side of the field last year.

But that figure isn't good enough for the 28-year-old Rapana, who wants to step it up another notch in 2017.

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"I want to be a ruthless defender," Rapana told AAP.

"A player people come up against and kind of fear."

"We scored tries last year we also leaked quite a few points on our edge. It's something that we've done a lot of work on in the pre-season."

Rough diamonds at the start of last season, the two stars were revitalised by the Raiders and became one of the talking points of the 2016 season.

Aside from their point-scoring feats, Rapana led the league for linebreaks while the pair were both ranked in the top-five for tackle busts.

It saw Rapana rewarded with New Zealand selection at last year's Four Nations, but the 27-year-old knows the hunters will soon enough become the hunted.

"That was a goal of mine last year to make the end-of-season tour and I have another one this year to make the World Cup," Rapana said.

"But I know teams are going to be coming down a lot harder on myself and Joey."

Rapana is off-contract at the end of the year, but he is confident only the formalities are stopping him from penning a long-term deal in the nation's capital.

"It's meant to be just around the corner," Rapana said.

After making his debut at the Gold Coast in 2008, he left the NRL to become a Mormon missionary before ending up with the Brumbies in Super Rugby.

He then worked part-time in bars and as a barber before getting his lifeline from the Raiders which he has grabbed with both hands.