Canberra has survived an error-ridden first half and a Wests Tigers fightback to snatch a 22-18 victory to keep alive its hopes of a top-four finish.
Earlier on Sunday, Parramatta boosted its push for a finals berth with a gritty 26-20 victory over St George Illawarra, the result positioning the Eels in ninth place on the ladder and just outside the top eight via an inferior points differential.
In Canberra, the Tigers had the chance to steal an unlikely win at the death.
Veteran winger David Nofoaluma failed to take a Luke Brooks kick on the full and although he kept the ball alive to pass back into Starford To’a, the centre was taken into touch.
But while Raiders coach Ricky Stuart was already celebrating, the tackle on To’a by Jack Wighton was deemed high, giving the visitors an extra play, although they were unable to take advantage.
Canberra centre Sebastian Kris summed up his team’s rollercoaster performance, scoring two tries before limping off with a hamstring injury.
While the Raiders produced some moments of brilliance, Stuart would have been pulling his hair out during the first half with his team only completing 13 of 23 sets and making 10 errors.
They were not alone, with the Tigers also butchering a number of attacking opportunities for Canberra to lead 10-6 at half-time.
Neither side could get across the line in the opening 25 minutes before a Wighton kick saw Kris pounce.
The Raiders pushed the lead out to 10-0 three minutes later when Hudson Young ran on to short ball from dummy-half Zac Woolford.
The Tigers got in on the try-scoring action when Nofoaluma charged down field after an intercept and sent a soaring pass across to Brooks, who found winger Charlie Staines to touch down.
Four minutes into the second half, Kris raced almost 60 metres to score but immediately exited the field, with his team ahead 16-6.
It looked like the Raiders would skip away but Tigers hooker Api Koroisau put a pin-point kick into the in-goal for Nofoaluma to score.
The teams traded tries to set up a thrilling finale, with Koroisau’s boot providing a try for Brooks with 10 minutes to play.
The Tigers, who are headed for the wooden spoon, scrambled but the home side’s defence was able to hold firm, with the win pushing them up to fifth on the ladder.
Eels get home against Dragons
Parramatta’s Dylan Brown produced a match-winning play on his return from suspension to seal a come-from-behind win that keeps the Eels’ finals hopes alive.
The Eels had been expected to breeze past the 16th-placed Dragons and back into the top eight at Western Sydney Stadium.
Dragons winger Mikaele Ravalawa had other ideas, running in a career-high four tries that helped the visitors put on 20 unanswered points and lead by 10 early in the second half.
But in his first on-field appearance since June after being stood down for sexual touching without consent, Brown put up a cross-field kick that led to Bryce Cartwright’s second try and a match-winning lead with 10 minutes to play.
The Eels must still win two of their remaining three matches to finish the season with a winning record, which is no mean feat given ladder leaders Penrith and Brisbane await.
But they nevertheless finish round 23 in hot pursuit of a finals spot, sitting behind eighth-placed South Sydney on points differential only.
Brown was important for the Eels early.
His line-break down the left had the Eels on the way to their second try in the set after their first, and he twice produced try-saving defensive plays in the opening half.
But the Eels’ defensive steel could not hold, and on three occasions, Ravalawa had the better of his opposite man — debutant Arthur Miller-Stephen — on the right wing.
Parramatta coach Brad Arthur switched Sean Russell onto that edge to help stem the bleeding in the second half but Ravalawa would not be discouraged.
Ten minutes into the second half, he flirted with the touchline as he beat Eels captain Clint Gutherson and became the first Dragon since 2009 to score four tries in a match.
With field position came points for the Eels, who drew level thanks to a beautiful flat ball from Ryan Matterson to an unlikely try scorer in prop Junior Paulo.
Brown’s kick had Parramatta in the lead for the first time since midway through the first half.
On a weekend punctuated by two send-offs, Ravalawa and Zac Lomax could both consider themselves lucky to have remained afield after being placed on report.
Ravalawa hit Brown high in the first half but Lomax’s head-slam on Andrew Davey appeared more dangerous.
Ryan Couchman also went on report for a high shot on Parramatta halfback Mitch Moses.
AAP/ABC
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