Australian rugby league coach Mal Meninga (pictured) says he believes the Canberra Raiders are the team to beat for the 2017 NRL premiership.

The Raiders were powerhouses of the competition in the late eighties and early nineties, winning three premierships and finishing runners up twice.

Meninga captained the club to three premierships and believes current coach Ricky Stuart has a team primed  and ready to push for premiership number four in 2017.