Raiders coach eyes incredible 15-year first in NRL grand final

It may be 17 years between victory drinks but Ricky Stuart could join rarefied rugby league air if the Canberra coach can conjure an upset in the NRL grand final on Sunday.

Stuart won everything there was to win as a player; premierships, State of Origin, Tests, Dally M and Clive Churchill medals.

Now he's entering similar territory as a coach.

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Stuart guided the Sydney Roosters to a drought-breaking premiership in his rookie coaching season in 2002 and is looking to do the same for the Green Machine in 2019.

The Roosters played in three straight grand finals under Stuart and but now they're the team he must beat to etch his name into the history books.

In their eighth decider this century, the Roosters are firm favourites to become the first team to win consecutive titles since Brisbane in 1992-93.

But Stuart has made a career out of proving the doubters wrong and won the Raiders three premierships in six years as a player, including their most recent title in 1994.

Canberra's favourite son can become the seventh person to win a premiership as a player and a coach at the same club and the first since Steve Folkes did it at Canterbury in 2004.

Stuart is also one win away from becoming the sixth coach to win premierships at different clubs, joining Jack Gibson, Wayne Bennett, Tim Sheens, Phil Gould and Chris Anderson.

Glenn Lazarus played in three grand finals alongside Stuart at the Raiders and warned people to write off his former teammate at their peril.

"He certainly knows what it takes to be a winner and knows what it takes to win football games," Lazarus told AAP.

"One of the things that was a real attribute for the Raiders, in particular in the heyday, was Ricky would just drive the side around the park, we did what he wanted us to do and we got the results.

"Out of all the people I've known, he'd be the worst loser I've ever come across, he takes losing much worse than anyone else.

"His relationships with his players is second to none. That's a real sign of a very good coach and leader, he was a leader on the field and he's certainly a leader of men off the field as well."

Lazarus tipped a boilover at ANZ Stadium.

"Canberra are going really well, there's no reason they can't win," Lazarus said.

"Everyone will have the Roosters as heavy favourites but I can come up with two really good examples and that's 1989 and 1999.

"Canberra in '89 and Melbourne in '99 weren't supposed to win those grand finals but they did.

"Once you're in there anything can happen. They are in this up to their eyeballs."