You can bet it's written in his private journal, the one hidden in his bedside draw, but Canberra Raiders forward Paul Vaughan would prefer keep this goal to himself.

"I obviously want to make the Country team again and hopefully make the Blues squad ... but I don't want that to be out there," Vaughan says.

Oops. Problem is, Vaughan's secret isn't such a secret. After just two years in the NRL, the 23-year-old prop was invited to the Emerging NSW Blues camp in the pre-season and is well and truly on the representative radar.

Since he was first invited to train with the Raiders NRL squad in 2012, Vaughan has kept a journal. Each pre-season he writes his goals for the year, ticking off his accomplishments as he goes.

In 2013, he was named Raiders rookie of the year, going on to represent Italy at the World Cup.

In 2014, he was selected in the NSW Country Origin squad, many within Raiders ranks rating him unlucky to miss the Australian train-on squad at the end of the year.

This year? Well, let's just say the powerful prop doesn't like taking backwards steps.

"I've got a little journal at home, and each year I write down what my goals are," Vaughan says.

"I like to set myself pretty high goals, something to work towards. I've set those high goals for myself again this year, to make the rep teams.

"It's pretty easy to say something, but there's a good sense of achievement when you write down a goal and reach it."

After two years in the NRL and making his representative debut for NSW Country last year, Vaughan has established himself as a leader in the Raiders pack.

A Gungahlin Bulls junior, his initiation to the NRL has mirrored that of the Raging Bull, Gorden Tallis. Like Tallis, who established himself as an invaluable impact player off the bench for St George in the early 1990s, Vaughan has only started in six of his 41 NRL matches.

But his contribution hasn't gone unnoticed.

"I learned a lot about what the Blues are building there [at the Emerging Origin camp]," Vaughan said.

"It was god to learn about the culture and passion of everyone in the Blues squad, hopefully if my footy's good in the next couple of years I can crack the squad."

"I've been [providing] impact off the bench, that's the role I've been playing the last couple of years, I'm happy with that."

Already one of the most explosive forwards at the Raiders, Vaughan has got even more powerful in the pre-season.

Coming through the grades, Vaughan was mentored by former Australian and NSW Blues prop Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, who has moved on to the Melbourne Storm this year.

"He was always the strongest, most powerful bloke on the field, I always looked up to Tommy when I was younger," Vaughan says.

"We have got stronger this year but there's still a long way to go. We've got a big forward pack, but you want to be explosive, too."