Canberra playmaker Terry Campese's mind was on things other than finals football after helping the Raiders wrap up a top eight finish with a tough 18-16 win over Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

While thrilled with the victory, Campese was itching to get back home to his wife Sarah, due to give birth at "any time".

"The best result would be to go back and check my (mobile) phone and see she has gone in (hospital) and I fly back in the morning straight to the doctors," Campese said with a laugh.

"It's an exciting times on both fronts, first kid and semi finals.

"I can't wait, I'm pretty excited, getting goose bumps just talking about it."

The nephew of former Wallaby winger David Campese, was on a huge high after playing a big hand in his side's victory which pushed them into seventh place and guaranteed them a place in the finals.

Twice he knocked down passes on the final play which could have led to match-winning tries to Brisbane and left the Raiders sweating on the outcome of Sunday's Dragons-South Sydney clash.

"We always knew they were going to throw the ball around (Brisbane had to win by 15 points) and they were throwing some off-loads without even looking," said Campese.

Campese said there definitely similarities between Canberra's late surge into the finals in 2008.

"We're a much better team than what we showed at the start of the year and I think we're starting to hit our straps.

"We have to take this confidence into next week and keep the momentum going.

Campese may have to hand the captaincy back to gritty forward Alan Tongue, who is racing the clock to get back from a calf injury for next week's semi final, most likely against the Dragons who they beat a few weeks ago.

"Knowing Tonguie, anything's possible to be honest," grinned coach David Furner.

"He'll try and run tomorrow (Saturday) just to prove himself, but that's Tonguie.

"We were told two weeks but Tonguie told me this morning he was five days ahead of schedule."

Furner said after several weeks of walking the finals tightrope his young team deserved to be there next week.

"We've grown as a squad and we've got a chance in the finals," said the former long-serving Raiders forward.

"It's not about looking back now, it's about looking forward.

"We've done that for the last six or seven weeks and we deserve to be there."

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