The Raiders have hung on for a gutsy 16-10 victory to hand the Warriors their first loss in New Zealand this season and leapfrog them into second place on the ladder.
Canberra got home thanks to some brilliant goal-line defence and despite losing two players to the sin bin, but the win will likely come at a cost.
Green Machine skipper captain Joe Tapine was placed on report twice and mocked Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad who he accused him of being a crybaby following a crusher tackle.
MATCH CENTRE: Warriors vs Raiders teams, scores, videos, updates
Tapine was placed on report over the incident in the 15th minute and had an animated chat with referee Adam Gee who told him he was close to being binned.
Tapine then ridiculed Nicoll-Klokstad with a crybaby impersonation before Warriors halfback Luke Metcalf booted a gift two points from the ensuing penalty.
Warriors winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck finished a well-worked team try in the corner to give the hosts an 8-0 lead in the 24th minute.
Ricky fires warning shot as ban looms | 06:19
Gee had reached the end of his patience with Canberra when Corey Horsburgh gave away his side’s fifth penalty in the 28th minute and the prop was binned.
But the visitors scored against the run of play when Tom Starling backed up a break from Seb Kris to score.
Warriors centre Adam Pompey was then pinged for being in front of the kicker from a dropout on the stroke of halftime and Jamal Fogarty knocked over the two points and to make it all square at the break.
Nicoll-Klokstad was then binned in the second half for slowing down the ruck and Fogarty scored a runaway try in what proved the winner.
In a move tha almost cost them the game, Tapine challenged a blatant high shot from Tom Starling in the 78th minute and the Bunker decided it was a sin bin when the Gee’s original decision was just a penalty.
After the match, Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has warned the NRL against punishing players for displaying the aggression in which the game sells itself off.
Bizarre late sin bin DRAMA | 01:23
Here are the talking points out of the match from NCA Newswire’s Jack Brady.
WIN OF CONSEQUENCE
State of Origin may be kicking off this Wednesday, but the Australian Capital Territory could care little as the Raiders continued their winning ways across the ditch.
It will likely be a win of consequence for the Raiders with skipper Joe Tapine and hooker Tom Starling facing nervous waits after being placed on report throughout.
For Tapine, two incidents will come under scrutiny after earning the ire of referee Adam Gee for a crusher tackle on Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad early on and a shoulder charge on Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in the final five minutes.
Tom Starling made matters worse for the Raiders with the game on the line, after he was sin-binned for a high-flying charge at the head of a kicking Chanel Harris-Tavita.
Despite all this, as well as a first half riddled with ill-discipline, the Raiders did enough to hang on against a desperate Warriors in a frantic final two minutes.
Webster backs officials after fiery game | 06:12
HORSING AROUND
Of all the questions raised about Billy Slater’s Queensland team ahead of State of Origin I, the omission of Raiders firebrand Corey Horsburgh has been the most prevalent.
Amidst a career campaign, instead of donning a Maroons jersey for a second time, Horsburgh had to make do with Auckland’s big wet and looked every bit a player spurned.
It didn’t translate well early doors.
An error in the opening exchanges with his team deep in Warriors’ territory was compounded five minutes later when the prop was placed on report for a shot off the ball on Marata Niukore.
To make matters worse, Horsburgh was given his marching orders in the 28th minute. An innocuous penalty for holding down was the final straw for Gee with ill-discipline rife for the Raiders in the opening 40.
The second half was much better story for Horsburgh, with a crucial tackle in the dying stages preventing a late Warriors win.
Horsburgh could end up being Queensland’s loss after demonstrating once again to be Canberra’s gain.
May chats Origin snub with Matty Johns | 02:11
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