The Raiders came from 16-0 down at halftime to score a thrilling, 24-22 win over the Roosters at Canberra Stadium in Round 5.

It was Raiders centre Jarrod Croker's 100th first-grade game and he celebrated in fine style, scoring the 76th-minute try that finally put the Raiders level with the Roosters and then converting it for the win.

But the fightback began with a huge second-half effort in the forwards from the Raiders, led by representative prop David Shillington and powerhouse second-rower Josh Papalii.

Shillington, who ran for 159 metres, and Papalii, who ran for 115 and made a line-break, bent the defence back and provided the space in which the Raiders created their four tries.

The Raiders ran for a total of 1428 metres compared to 1061 for the Roosters, which proved that – as late as it came – they deserved their win in the end.