Ricky Stuart's men have delivered an exhilarating ending in the Raiders golden point thriller against the Dolphins in Redcliff on Saturday night, defeating Wayne Bennett's side 26-25.
Both teams traded field goals in the final 10 minutes to send the clash into extra time at Dolphins stadium, with Canberra fullback Jordan Rapana saving the day for the visitors.
The final minutes of the game had everything fans could ask for, with multiple attempts at field goals, massive hits, and penalties all round.
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The Dolphins were without Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Felise Kaufusi for the match due to Origin duties, while skipper Jesse Bromwich was ruled out in the second minute of the game, after suffering a rib injury.
The first four points came through Jeremy Marshall-King, with the Dolphins hooker catching Raiders defenders off-guard to charge over.
But it wasn't long until the Raiders pounced, with Xavier Savage flying over the line before Ata Mariota added an extra six points.
"The moment that ball went in the air, Xavier Savage only had eyes for it," Dan Ginnane said in commentary for Fox League.
"That is the look you will see all game from Wayne Bennett," Corey Parker added.
Elliot Whitehead was next to cross for Canberra, toppling over from a short distance to finish the first half ahead by six.
The Dolphins and the Raiders went back-to-back over the line until the final 10 minutes when Jamayne Isaako slotted what appeared to be a winning field goal.
But the celebrations were short-lived as Rapana fired the ball between the posts to level the scores with two minutes left on the clock.
"That game had absolutely everything," said Dan Ginnane on Fox League.
"What a night. The Dolphins are heartbroken."
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Rapana said he hadn't practiced taking shots at goal, revealing that front-rower Josh Papali'i would've been a better fit for the job – claiming that he is the best striker at the club.
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"[I've] done some things to almost lose that game so, uh, I had to pull my finger out otherwise I would've got a ribbing from Stick [Ricky Stuart]," he said.
"I muck around at training [with field goals]… but I got pretty lucky there.
"I've had one of the best goal kickers to learn from over the last 10 years at the Raiders, in Jarrod Croker.
"I thought we went out there and did all the little things right. The Dolphins are a very good team and they are in the top eight for a reason. We got lucky tonight."
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