'Leipana:' Meet The Mormon And The Brute Whose Unholy Matrimony Is Driving The Canberra Raiders Unlikely Premiership Bid

One is a mormon who turned his back on rugby league to perform two years of missionary duty for his church. The other is one of the most intimidating brutes in the game, with a checkered rap sheet to boot.

Together they have become known as 'Leipana' - short for Jordan Rapana and Joseph Ikenasio Poiva Leilua Kelemete, (aka BJ Leilua). The unlikeley winger and center duo have formed the most potent attacking duo in the NRL on the Canberra Raiders' right side. This Saturday they will attempt to wreak havoc over the Melbourne Storm with their dazzling brand of hard-running, creativity and intimidatory defence.

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Rapana, who is of Cook Islander and Maori descent, was born in Wellington New Zealand. He started his career as an 18 year old with the Gold Coast Titans back in 2008, packing five tries in his first five games on his way to making the National Youth Team Of The Year. Then he quit, walking away from hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to perform two years as a Mormon missionary.

"Growing up I didn't have a choice when it came to playing Sundays…My dad would always say to me 'no, you don't play' and that was it.

"So I've already done my fair share of Sundays off. I won't be asking for any more," he told Sydney's Daily Telegraph.

Upon his return Rapana was forced to start from scratch. After a failed bid to crack the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Brumbies Super Rugby Union franchise, he ended up playing park rugby league with local team the Queanbeyan Kangaroos, meanwhile, working as a barber and barmen to make ends meet. He spent six years in total in the rugby league wilderness before being plucked from obscurity by Ricky Stuart to join one of the most eclectic Canberra Raiders teams in history, comprised mostly of ageing veterans, discards of other teams and the ill-disciplined. It hasn't stopped them dazzling the league with teeth-rattling defence, damaging forward running, and creativity on the fringes, however, as they've raced toward their first grand final birth in more than a decade. Rapana has racked up a massive 21 tries in 25 games running off Leilua. Leilua's flick pass against the Tigers at Leichardt and Rapana's miraculous ability to chase down kicks for tries have been highlights of the NRL season thus far.

Leilua, for his part, was let go by his first club the Sydney Roosters for disciplinary reasons. The 106 kilo Samoan-Australian, from Hurstville in Sydney's South-West, is a renowned hot-head who at the tender age of 24 is already among the most feared players in the NRL. His short fuse has gotten the better of him both on and off the field, however.

He spent a night in jail in 2008 after a dispute with his ex-girlfriend led to six charges being filed against him; among them breaching an AVO, assault and sending nude pictures of his ex to the woman's brother. Leilua claims she cheated on him and all charges were dropped after witness reports proved to be false (Leilua was given a 12 month good behaviour bond instead).

He was sacked by the Roosters anyway and moved on to the hapless Newcastle Knights where again attitude and discipline were a problem. Coach Ricky Stuart has turned that around at the last-stop Raiders. The adored local hero and former Raiders great, Stuart, is riding a wave of emotion to the Grand Final as he attempts to restore the glory of the Green Machine years, of which he was a part of, to the nation's capital. 'Leipana' is arguably the biggest part of this equation. Their combination has been a thing of beauty - if two giants moving at pace and pulling off crazy kicks, passes, dives and hits is your thing.

Off the field the former-mormon Rapana and the bad boy Leilua are also tight, often rooming together on the road, with Rapana even helping Leilua pick out an engagement ring for his fiance.

"I didn't have anyone to support myself and then when I came here everyone welcomed me. Ever since I met [Rapana] we just had a nice bond and we've stayed tight ever since."

"We've had our ups and downs, arguing and stuff … but we always have each other's back and that's the best thing about us," Leilua told the Canberra Times.