The Raiders Jersey Flegg Cup side fell 24-20 to the Sydney Roosters in a hard-fought contest at GIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
After an arm-wrestle early on, the Raiders jumped out to a 14-4 lead at halftime, courtesy of late tries to Siamani Leuluai and Shaun Packer.
The Roosters answered after the break, scoring three straight tries to gain a 22-14 advantage with 20 minutes to go.
Canberra were able to hit back through a Mitchell Prest four-pointer, while a man was in the bin to close the gap to two.
But the Roosters were able to hang on and claim the 24-20 victory, converting a late penalty goal to seal the deal.
Canberra will look to bounce back when they host the Kaiviti Silktails at Raiders Belconnen on Saturday afternoon.
Photo by Mrs G Sports Photography
