New Canberra winger Sisa Waqa played alongside one of the best fullbacks the NRL has ever seen at Melbourne.

So he knows a thing or two about what makes a great No.1, and when it comes to Jack Wighton, he believes the youngster is destined to don a darker shade of green.

With his four seasons next to Billy Slater now behind him, Waqa will begin building a new combination with Wighton when the Raiders take on Cronulla this Sunday at Remondis Stadium.

“He might be the next Australian fullback,” Waqa says.

“He’s just got that ability, that skill.

“I can’t wait to go out there and play alongside him.”

With just three games under his belt at fullback Wighton has a big learning curve ahead of him to eclipse previous Raiders fullbacks Josh Dugan and Anthony Milford.

That’s why Waqa is so crucial to a youthful Raiders’ backline.

The lessons Waqa gleaned at the premiership-winning Storm from Slater, Cooper Cronk and co is one of the key reasons Raiders coach Ricky Stuart recruited him.

“Wighton is a good kid. He always listens and he is very skilful,” Waqa said.

With Jordan Rapana on the opposite wing, the Raiders will boast a sizeable back three.

It’s a deliberate move by Stuart to ensure they help the forwards grind out more metres in attack.

Waqa added that he believes the new firepower added to the Raiders this season – including Frank-Paul Nu’uasala (Roosters), Blake Austin (Wests Tigers), Josh Hodgson (Hull KR) and Sia Soliola (St Helens) – have the potential to help lift the side into the top eight.

“Absolutely. On paper we look pretty good,” Waqa says.

“But with football these days it’s not about the names, not about the experience, at the end of the day you’ve got to go out and execute.

“But in saying that, we look pretty good this year, with all due respect to the previous Raiders team.”