The Raiders' 2019 form for winning games on their home turf has been mixed, but they're heading into the preliminary final, played at Canberra Stadium, as firm favourites.

In the last round of the season, the Raiders' lost their final home game to the New Zealand Warriors.

That record has seen them win 10 of the 13 games played away from the Nation's Capital, but only five at home, of a possible 11.

Considering the lift the Raiders admit they get out of running on to Canberra Stadium to their famed viking clap, it's a record that doesn't seem to match up.

Raiders fans perform the famous Viking clap. ( AAP: Lukas Coch )

When first raised, co-captain Jarrod Croker admitted to knowing their 2019 record at home wasn't great, but didn't quite realise it was as lean as it was.

Coach Ricky Stuart acknowledged the imbalance, before concluding "as long as we keep winning, I don't care where the game is played".

It's hard to argue with this logic. At the end of 25 rounds of the NRL season, Canberra finished fourth because they won 15 games, not because they won twice as many away as they did at home.

But an excellent record away from Canberra Stadium can only be a good thing, should the Raiders win through to their first grand final in two-and-a-half decades.

In fact, the Raiders' second win over the Melbourne Storm in last fortnight's qualifying final, played in Melbourne, pushes their record away from home to 10 wins and just three losses.

While that also equates to losing their last three games at home, it's far from doom and gloom for Raiders fans going into tomorrow night's sold out home preliminary final against South Sydney.

Felise Kaufusi of the Storm is tackled by Jarrod Croker and Jack Wighton of the Raiders during the round two NRL match in Canberra on March 22, 2019. ( AAP: Rohan Thompson )

It's all in the defence

At a glance: Raiders numbers The last eight straight games the Raiders have played anywhere have been won by the away team.

The last eight straight games the Raiders have played anywhere have been won by the away team. Nine of the last 10 games going back to their Round 16 bye have been won by the away team.

Nine of the last 10 games going back to their Round 16 bye have been won by the away team. Of their 25 games played in 2019, 16 were won by the away side.

Of their 25 games played in 2019, 16 were won by the away side. Of the current eight-straight away-team wins, the Raiders have been the team winning away in five of those games.

The Raiders finished the season with the third-best defensive record in the competition, averaging just over 16 points conceded going back to that Round 16 bye — and they only conceded 10 points against the Storm a fortnight ago.

They have been rightly proud of their defensive improvements this season; indeed, it's seen as the major reason they've lifted from 10th on the ladder in 2018 to running in the top four for all of the 2019 season bar a fortnight back in March.

Conversely, the Rabbitohs have conceded 96 points in their last five games alone, despite winning four of them. Just in the last two weeks of the finals, the Roosters ran in 30 points against them in the qualifying final, while Manly still put 26 on them despite losing the semi-final last week.

The two teams have enjoyed similar attacking records this season, but everyone knows finals football is won by defence — and that's why the Raiders go into the preliminary final as firm favourites.

Looking back to 1989

John Sutton of the Rabbitohs celebrates with teammates after scoring a try during the first semi-final against the Sea Eagles on September 20. ( AAP: Dan Himbrechts )

Canberra have put a lot of focus on the 30th anniversary of their first premiership and the memorable 1989 grand final, which came in that wonderful period for the club when they played in five grand finals in eight seasons, winning three premierships in all.

But since the 1994 grand final win over Canterbury, the closest the Raiders have come is the 2016 preliminary final. It's 25 long years since they played in the last game of the season.

The club has enjoyed the look back to 1989 this season, but now want the current squad to write their own chapter in Raiders history.

And if the 2019 squad can win through to the grand final, they'll draw another parallel to the 1989 team.

Thirty years ago, the Raiders also finished fourth on the ladder. And who did they beat to reach the grand final?

None other than South Sydney.