The next test for the Canberra Raiders' remodelled defence will be to hold back the tide.
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They did the rugby league equivalent in the opening 10 minutes against the Penrith Panthers, before going on to win 30-18 at Panthers Stadium on Sunday.
It's kept their hold on the top four as they head to Auckland to take on the New Zealand Warriors on Friday.
It also prompted NRL legend Andrew Johns to declare them a "red-hot chance".
"Coming here today I didn't really think they were a genuine chance, the Raiders," he said in Nine commentary.
"But looking at their team, how well balanced they are ... they're a red-hot chance."
The Panthers had a whopping 91 per cent of possession in those opening exchanges, but could only manage one try - to winger Brian To'o - despite having five sets in a row at one stage.
Then the Raiders landed two sucker punches to take a 12-6 lead into half-time.
A deceptive Josh Hodgson put Josh Papalii over from close range for the visitors' opener.
Hodgson's craftiness also led to Panthers centre Dean Whare getting his marching orders for a professional foul, taking out Jarrod Croker off the ball as he chased his fellow co-captain's grubber.
On the very next set the Raiders took advantage of their one-man advantage with Elliott Whitehead going through where Whare no longer was.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said that opening 10 minutes got his players' "heads o".
"The way the first 10 minutes unfolded was good for us because there's been a couple of games there where we've had a couple of early line breaks, scored some early points and we tend to go off our game a touch," he said.
"I thought that scenario of football in the first 10-15 minutes got out heads on and got us into the battle."
Whitehead was outstanding, as was his fellow second-rower John Bateman.
Both charging for more than 100 metres and getting through a mountain of defensive work, not to mention both picking up a try.
Panthers prop James Fisher-Harris was immense for the Panthers in the first half, running for more than 100m and at one point he had blood streaming from a cut above his nose.
While defence has been the Raiders' mantra this season, their well-known electric right-edge poked its head out.
Centre Michael Oldfield kicked back inside for Aidan Sezer to run onto and score, Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was too desperate for former Raider Brent Naden to touch down and Bateman took advantage of a short Panthers goal-line dropout to add his name to the scoresheet.
It ended the Panthers' chances of equaling a club-record eight-straight wins, but has kept the Green Machine towards the finals.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary batted away questions about a half-time confrontation with the referees, with NRL head of football Graham Annesley set to contact the refs about whether they wanted to make a complaint.
He did praise the Raiders' stripping ability.
"They're probably the best in the business at it. We definitely discussed it," Cleary said.
"There were a couple of big ones straight after a try, when we were fighting to get some field position in the second half ... big momentum changers."
AT A GLANCE
CANBERRA RAIDERS 30 (Josh Papalii, Elliott Whitehead, Aidan Sezer, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jordan Rapana, John Bateman tries; Jarrod Croker 3 goals) bt PENRITH PANTHERS 18 (Brian To'o, Moses Leota, James Tamou tries; Nathan Cleary 3 goals) at Panthers Stadium. Referees: Ashley Klein, Dave Munro. Crowd: 15,560.