It's not the new Canberra Raiders attack that's the problem. It's mental lapses that are killing the Green Machine.
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Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton says their failure to concentrate for the entire game is proving costly.
And it could prove an even bigger problem if they're not switched on against the Penrith Panthers at Penrith on Sunday.
The Panthers are not only the reigning premiers, but they're the most potent attack in the NRL - scoring more points and tries than any other team.
It's an attack Canberra has looked to replicate in some areas this season - with their middles looking to do more ball playing than they have in the past.
But their offence has struggled, with a lack of possession strangling their attacking weapons like Wighton - whose running game makes him one of the most dangerous five-eighths in the NRL.
Wighton said it wasn't just their attack that was struggling - they were making errors in defence as well.
They've leaked the third most points in the competition, with only St George Illawarra and Canterbury worse.
"There's errors in defence and attack... The restructure of the way we're trying to play is not the problem," Wighton said.
"It's just mental lapses and [not] playing for 80 minutes. We can do it beautifully for 40 minutes and then we drop the bundle for 15-20 minutes, we let ourselves out of the game and that's what's hurting is.
"It's not the way we're trying to attack. It's just our concentration in every second of the game."
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Wighton hoped the challenge of coming up against the best team in the NRL would help them find that focus.
They've lost their last three games to slump to 12th on the ladder - and their past two against Penrith.
"Definitely looking forward to it. There's nothing better than coming up against the best in the business," Wighton said.
"We've got a few young boys coming in and I want to see them shine, and us shine as a team.
"We've had a couple of close losses and some we've got to put behind us. There's no better way to start than going up against the best."
Wighton will face two of the best halves in the game in Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai - who could both be the NSW Blues playmakers when State of Origin begins in June.
They have Penrith purring - and scoring more than 30 points per game.
Wighton said it take all 17 players from the Green Machine to curtail them.
"They've been class. Last year and this year they've started the season on fire," he said.
"We're coming up against one of the best teams in the comp - if not the best team.
"It's going to be a collective game and everyone's got to buy in and do their job if we're going to try and stop them coming at us."
NRL ROUND SEVEN
Sunday: Penrith Panthers v Canberra Raiders at Panthers Stadium, 4pm.
Raiders squad: 1. Jordan Rapana, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Matt Timoko, 4. Semi Valemei, 5. Xavier Savage, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. Brad Schneider, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Tom Starling, 10. Joe Tapine, 11. Corey Harawira-Naera, 12. Elliott Whitehead (c), 13. Ryan Sutton. Interchange: 14. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 15. Harry Rushton, 16. Adam Elliott, 17. Corey Horsburgh. Reserves: 18. Hudson Young, 19. Matt Frawley, 20. Jarrod Croker, 21. Emre Guler, 22. Trey Mooney, 23. James Schiller, 24. Peter Hola.
Panthers squad: 1. Dylan Edwards, 2. Charlie Staines, 3. Izack Tago, 4. Stephen Crichton, 5. Taylan May, 6. Jarome Luai, 7. Nathan Cleary, 8. Matt Eisenhuth, 9. Apisai Koroisau, 10. James Fisher-Harris, 11. Viliame Kikau, 12. Liam Martin, 13. Isaah Yeo. Interchange: 14. Mitch Kenny, 15. Scott Sorensen, 16. Spencer Leniu, 17. Jaeman Salmon. Reserves: 18. Robert Jennings, 19. Chris Smith, 20. J'maine Hopgood, 21. Lindsay Smith, 22. Soni Luke, 23. Christian Crichton, 24. Sean O'Sullivan.
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