LeagueNews.co | Robbie Hamilton
The Raiders Jersey Flegg Cup squad suffered a narrow 24-20 defeat against the Sydney Roosters in a gritty showdown at GIO Stadium last Saturday.
It was a classic game of two halves, with the Green Machine taking a 14-4 lead into halftime thanks to some late heroics from Siamani Leuluai and Shaun Packer.
However, the Roosters came out firing in the second half, scoring three unanswered tries to surge ahead 22-14 with 20 minutes remaining.
The Raiders fought back valiantly, with Mitchell Prest crossing the line to bring the margin within two points while the Roosters had a player in the sin bin.
Unfortunately, the Roosters managed to hold on for the victory, sealing the deal with a late penalty goal.
It was a tough loss for the Raiders, but they will look to regroup and come back stronger when they take on the Kaiviti Silktails at Raiders Belconnen next Saturday.
In the game of rugby league, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose - it's all part of the thrill of the game.
The Raiders will need to dig deep and show some true character in their next match to bounce back from this defeat.