Stuart proud as Raiders learn how to win ugly

If the Canberra Raiders are to be the last team standing this NRL season, Saturday's scrappy 20-12 win might be a blueprint as to how they do it.

Far from being a team that has averaged 34.7 points a game against the Wests Tigers in their last 10 outings, the Raiders victory was earned off the back of scrambling defence and second efforts.

With little field position in the second half, Canberra were spurred on by outstanding performances from Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad at fullback and Josh Papalli off the bench along with the direction provided by Josh Hodgson and Aidan Sezer.

"I hope they were proud of the effort, an ugly win but we scrambled our way back to two points tonight," Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said.

"We knew what how important the game was and we knew how desperate [the Tigers] would be and where they are on the table in regards to their game and we got away on them a bit in the first half.

"We probably weren't ruthless in the first half, we kept inviting them back into the fight and in the second half we were ruthless in defence given we didn't have any field position.

"It gave us some good education about hanging in and winning a really tight one."

Sezer has been crucial for the Raiders especially in the last two weeks, with his kicking game proving crucial at times in greasy conditions at GIO Stadium.

"Especially at the start of the game I thought he controlled our ruck attack really well, and he's got a really good combination with Josh [Hodgson] when they are working to the plan," Stuart said of his halfback.

"And then his desperation at the end on our right side of the field when the ball bounced over his head and he had to make a desperate tackle and I thought it was a wonderful save.

"They score there and it's a different five minutes until the end of the match."

Nicoll-Klokstad's reputation continues to grow, with his safe hands under the high ball and surging kick returns seeing him put his body on the line for the benefit of the team.

"He's been a revelation," Stuart marvelled.

"The trainer came off and said he thought he heard a crack and through he'd broken his leg in the far corner.

"He's a tough kid but I constantly talk to him about worrying about the little things in his game and there's areas we are working on to improve but he's a better player than what we was, in game one this year."

Josh Papalii has found himself in a different role as he continues to recover from State of Origin duties, playing 48 minutes off the bench.

Despite the new role the Raiders enforcer was outstanding in recording 201 metres from 18 runs.