Ricky Stuart is saluting a gritty 16-10 Canberra win that has underlined the Raiders' NRL premiership credentials as they became the first team to defeat the Warriors in New Zealand this season.
In a spiteful game played at a rain-soaked GoMedia Stadium, the Raiders (9-3) leapfrogged the Warriors into second spot on the NRL ladder after surviving a late onslaught from the Kiwi side.
The Raiders had two players - Corey Horsburgh and Tom Starling - sent to the sin bin on Sunday but stood tall in Auckland to add the Warriors to their list of 2025 scalps, which also includes Melbourne and Cronulla.
"Talking about resilience, and you can talk about it but sometimes you get thrown into a scenario where you have to show what you speak about," Stuart said.
"I've got a tough team there. Never once have I doubted their toughness or resilience.
"I know what's deep under the jumper. But I'll be honest, I was just proud of every individual that displayed it."
Horsburgh was pinged for repeated infringements in the first half while Starling could face the wrath of the match review committee for his 77th-minute high shot on Chanel Harris-Tavita.
Raiders captain Joe Tapine was placed on report for a shoulder charge as well as a first-half crusher tackle on Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad that allowed Luke Metcalf to put the Warriors ahead with a penalty.
Stuart downplayed the severity of Tapine's crusher tackle but his side lacked discipline.
After Warriors winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck touched down for the game's first try in the 23rd minute, referee Adam Gee lost patience with the Green Machine and sent Horsburgh to the bin.
The Raiders jagged a try back through Starling before Jamal Fogarty kicked a penalty on the stroke of halftime to make it 8-8 at the break.
Metcalf and Fogarty traded penalties in the early part of the second half, the latter's coming when Nicoll-Klokstad was sin-binned for repeated ruck infringements with 20 minutes left.
Tuivasa-Sheck shifted to fullback, but was unable to halt Fogarty as the halfback backed up an Ata Mariota break and put the Raiders a converted score ahead with a quarter of an hour left.
Fogarty's try proved the match-winner, with Canberra surviving sustained Warriors pressure, compounded by having to play the final three minutes without Starling.
English import Morgan Smithies ensured the Raiders went home with the two points when he held out Warriors forward Marata Niukore in the dying stages.
"We had our chances where we were so close to scoring, which was frustrating," said Warriors coach Andrew Webster.
