NRL round 17: Canberra Raiders hold off Sydney Roosters at SFS

Croker's four goals edged the Green Machine home 20-18 against the Sydney Roosters at Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday night.

The win takes them within two points of top spot and in the perfect position to make a charge towards the finals.

It came at a cost, though, with Josh Papali'i going off with a hamstring injury after just 10 minutes. He'll likely be missing for at least a couple of weeks.

That meant plenty of work for Joe Tapine (144 metres) and Corey Horsburgh (145m) to cover his loss.

The Roosters lost second-rower Angus Crichton at half-time with a knee injury, while Egan Butcher was ruled out after failing his head injury assessment.

Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty's kicking game was on song early, producing some wicked spiralling torpedoes that were doing nothing for Roosters and Blues fullback James Tedesco's confidence.

Jack Wighton outjumped Tedesco to score the opener off a Fogarty kick.

Sebastian Kris outjumped Tedesco to bat it back for Matt Timoko to score the Raiders' third.

In between that the Green Machine had defended an Emre Guler knock-on from the restart before going straight up the other end for Albert Hopoate to score off a Jarrod Croker break.

Aside from that, Tedesco didn't stop trying, running for 196m and threatening to make an impact right till the end.

Hopoate (231m) and Kris (225m) also did plenty of hard work out of yardage.

Joey Manu was back in the centres for the Roosters after a stint at five-eighth and fullback and he scored a try out of nowhere with just seconds remaining in the first half, making it 18-6 at the break to give the home side hope.

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When Manu, who'd been largely anonymous until he scored, was over again shortly after the break - outjumping Croker from a Luke Keary kick - it was a six-point game just three minutes into the second half, and the Roosters had more than just hope.

The ever-controversial bunker can count itself lucky Manu didn't score his third, or set up his winger Junior Pauga, off the back of a Tedesco strip - with replays showing Raiders co-captain Elliott Whitehead's elbow was clearly down before the strip occurred.

Fresh from his State of Origin heroics for Queensland on Wednesday, Lindsay Collins popped up in the dying minutes to crash over from close range to set up the thrilling finish.

CANBERRA RAIDERS 20 (Jack Wighton, Albert Hopoate, Matt Timoko tries; Jarrod Croker 4 goals) bt SYDNEY ROOSTERS 18 (Joey Manu 2, Lindsay Collins tries; Sandon Smith 3 goals) at Sydney Football Stadium. Referee: Ashley Klein.

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