Jack Wighton ignites Canberra Raiders' second-half comeback to beat Canterbury Bulldogs

Canberra Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton continued his stunning season with two tries with the Green Machine trailing and a player in the sin bin.

It set up their 34-20 victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs at Canberra Stadium on Sunday night.

Being a man short wasn't the only adversity the Raiders had to overcome, with some dodgy Bunker calls not helping the home team's cause.

First they appeared to let a clear obstruction on Curtis Scott go and Bulldogs second-rower Raymond Faitala-Mariner's try was allowed to stand.

They also overruled referee Chris Butler when he appeared to have made the correct call, but they said Wighton had knocked the ball on when he didn't appear to touch it - turning a Bulldogs goal-line dropout into a seven-tackle set.

It mattered not as the Raiders' win set up a top four-defining clash with the Sydney Roosters at Canberra Stadium on Saturday - which will also double as Sonny Bill Williams' first game back in the NRL.

But back to Wighton. He was brilliant when Starling was sent to the sin bin after the Raiders gave away four consecutive ruck infringements before Butler lost his patience.

Wighton took the game by the neck and throttled it.

First, he barged over from close range with brute force.

Then minutes later he was in again, this time using a fend to open up a hole.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said Wighton was one of a number his players who had that ability to seize control of a game when it was needed.

"When he took the game by the throat there tonight, I felt really confident sitting back on the sideline because I could just see in Jack's demeanour he wasn't going to let this one slip," he said.

Starling's sin binning was compounded moments later when Scott was forced off with a knee injury - bringing Matt Timoko on for his NRL debut.

Timoko was solid, getting straight on the field and taking a hit-up, and he also showed he's got a turn of pace as he slotted in at right centre alongside Nick Cotric.

Scott appeared to be walking OK after the game, but will go for scans on Monday with the concerns around a past injury that resulted in him getting plates in his lower leg.

"We'll get a bit more clarity around it [Monday]. He's got a plate down that left leg, and he get a lot of pain when it's been whacked in the same way it was whacked when he broke it," Stuart said.

"There's no real one spot area that is causing much disturbance to him at the moment so that's a good sign.

"I'm hoping that he's OK, talking to Curtis after the game he seems to be all right."

Of course, Josh Papalii was outstanding. He ran for 206 metres, had a try assist and a linebreak assist, had four tackle busts and made 29 tackles.

Joe Tapine and Ryan Sutton were also outstanding in another reshuffled starting pack, this time they were given the nod over Papalii and Hudson Young.

Tapine scored the opening try and ran for 163m, while Sutton also had 132m.

Bulldogs prop Ofahiki Ogden was excellent for the visitors early, but his influence faded as the visitors were overrun in the second half - held scoreless and conceding 22 points.

Goal-line dropouts led to the opening two tries.

The Bulldogs opened the scoring with a Lachlan Lewis cut-out pass for winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to score in the corner.

Then a nice Dunamis Lui offload had Tapine dancing his way through some poor Bulldogs middle defence for a try.

Bulldogs fullback Will Hopoate spilt a kick straight into the arms of George Williams, who put Starling over for a ridiculously easy try in his run-on debut. But the game turned on its head when the bunker stepped in, Josh Jackson crashing over to put the visitors in front. And Bulldogs centre Kerrod Holland produced some individual brilliance to make it 20-12 at half-time.

He threw a 20-metre cut-out pass, followed it up to grubber his own grubber to score as the siren sounded.

With Starling in the bin and Scott off, the 3000 Raiders fans were baying for blood when Kieran Foran took out Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad out as he chased a Williams kick.

They wanted Foran sent off for a professional foul, but all they got was a penalty.

Up stepped Wighton to change everything, with Starling crossing for his second and Hudson Young also getting on the scoresheet.

Stuart was full of praise for Starling and the way he's helped cover Josh Hodgson's absence due to a season-ending knee injury.

"Tommy Starling I thought played a wonderful game tonight. For a young first-grader, who hasn't played a lot of football he shows a lot of composure from the ruck," he said.

"He's filling some big boots in Josh Hodgson. Everyone forgets the impact and the influence Josh Hodgson has on this team.

"It's all good coming in and playing first grade and getting an opportunity, but when you're filling the boots of a player who is probably one of the best in his position it's a big job."

It sets up a blockbuster against the Roosters, who will be looking for revenge after the Raiders beat them at the SCG earlier in the season - especially with fourth-position up for grabs.

AT A GLANCE

CANBERRA RAIDERS 34 (Jack Wighton 2, Tom Starling 2, Joe Tapine, Hudson Young tries; Jarrod Croker 5 goals) bt CANTERBURY BULLDOGS 20 (Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Josh Jackson, Kerrod Holland tries; Nick Meaney 2 goals) at Canberra Stadium. Referee: Chris Butler.