![Raiders centre Sebastian Kris scored two tries before coming off with a hamstring injury. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Raiders centre Sebastian Kris scored two tries before coming off with a hamstring injury. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/70ffc0b8-fb72-4527-b3bf-0eae62bc6e7b.jpg/r0_315_3460_2260_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It was a win that kept their season - and top-four hopes - alive, but that was about it.
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Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said they were their own worst enemy and needed to be smarter after their 22-18 victory over the Wests Tigers at Canberra Stadium on Sunday.
It came off the back of a rocks-and-diamonds Jack Wighton performance where he played a hand in tries for both sides.
Even in the dying seconds he went from hot to cold - he appeared to have tackled Wests centre Starford To'a into touch only to be penalised for a high tackle to give the Tigers one last crack.
Luckily the Raiders held on despite the mandatory chaos ensuing.
The Raiders looked dangerous in the opening 20 minutes - they just couldn't hold onto the ball.
That was exemplified by a brilliant Wighton break, only for the five-eighth to send his pass into touch when if he'd hit any one of three players they'd probably score.
![Jordan Rapana gets a flick pass away. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Jordan Rapana gets a flick pass away. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/RXMuw2JbrrS7ELSxSY9rkR/1e28768c-0b43-47ec-a7d8-859e065ed3eb.jpg/r0_0_3963_2228_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Canberra completed at just 36 per cent in that opening quarter thanks to a mountain of handling errors - 10 in the first half and 14 in the game.
"It's handy to get the two points - that's about the only thing we got, though," Stuart said.
"Our biggest enemy is us. [We won] because we've got tough individuals who hone in at the back end.
"But we've got to be smarter than that and it started from the start of the game.
"We didn't nail the execution on some of our plays in the first 20-25 minutes. If we had've nailed some of those executions it could've been a different story."
The win came at a cost, though, Sebastian Kris going off with a hamstring injury.
Canberra has already lost co-captain Jarrod Croker to a hamstring injury, although the club has plenty of depth in the centres.
![Josh Papali'i charges into the Tigers defence. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Josh Papali'i charges into the Tigers defence. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/RXMuw2JbrrS7ELSxSY9rkR/4ed3d108-aa59-488f-817f-3c2bedce72c4.jpg/r0_101_3785_2229_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Just days after he could've lined up for Parramatta on a season-ending loan, Harley Smith-Shields could find himself back in the Green Machine 13 - while Croker could also be close to a return.
The win draws the Raiders level with the fourth-placed Melbourne Storm, only points differential separating them to keep Canberra in fifth.
Kris only needed 50 minutes to show why he was so highly rated as a centre before his extended stint at fullback.
He scored two tries, but the Raiders' depth will be tested in that department with the young gun going off with a hamstring injury.
The Tigers lost Charlie Staines (hamstring) and Daine Laurie (concussion), while the Raiders also had Elliott Whitehead and Nick Cotric go off for head injury assessments - which both passed - but Cotric couldn't return because his was within the final 15 minutes.
![Hudson Young is mobbed after scoring for Canberra. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Hudson Young is mobbed after scoring for Canberra. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/RXMuw2JbrrS7ELSxSY9rkR/dee2b8f9-34dc-4c2c-b27d-b9f7d4a03b2d.jpg/r0_241_4163_2591_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Tigers coach Tim Sheens was left bemoaning the refereeing - especially Wighton's pass that led to Kris's second try.
It appeared to go forward, but was cleared by the officials as Kris tore 60 metres to show his blinding pace before scoring.
Sheens, with his tongue firmly in his cheek, congratulated Stuart - who he coached during their golden years with the Raiders in the late 80s and early 90s.
"I was pretty disappointed with a few of the decisions. I've got to congratulate Rick for coaching a side that didn't give away one extra set of six, so very good coaching," he said.
"There was a couple [of forward passes]. There was one second half, first try, lead-up pass. Looking at it I was pretty unhappy with that.
"That's something I'll take up with the referees, as I do every week.
"We had the opportunity to win it and didn't - right up to that last set we could've got back into the game."
AT A GLANCE
CANBERRA RAIDERS 22 (Sebastian Kris 2, Hudson Young, Matt Timoko tries; Jamal Fogarty 3 goals) bt WESTS TIGERS 18 (Charlie Staines, David Nofoaluma, Luke Brooks tries; Api Koroisau 3 goals) at Canberra Stadium. Referee: Peter Gough. Crowd: 12,841.
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