This should have been about that Canberra Raiders No.6. Not Jack Wighton. But an unlikely hero in Matt Frawley.
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He set up the Raiders' 14-4 win at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.
But the win could've come at a massive cost, with co-captain Jarrod Croker potentially dislocating his shoulder and coming off with just four minutes remaining.
Croker was playing his first NRL game of the season after struggling with knee and back injuries.
Now the football gods look to have cruelly added his shoulder to the list.
His departure, combined with a lack of remaining interchanges, meant the Raiders finished the game with just 12 men.
Croker didn't need any painkillers, although the shoulder did potentially pop out before going back in.
"I landed on the shoulder, but it doesn't feel too bad at the moment. Hopefully it's not too bad," he said after the game.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said they weren't sure how serious it was and he would go for scans to determine how bad the damage was.
But he said Croker made the side calmer through his presence - and 292 NRL games of experience.
The fingers are crossed he could be right for his 293rd next week against Cronulla.
"The boys love having 'Toots' in the team. I haven't been picking Toots for any reason but to help him," Stuart said.
"He needed to get minutes into his body in and he went back and captained second grade, played really well in second grade ... and came back and he was a very solid contributor again tonight.
"We're not sure how bad it is, whether it was dislocated or popped out so over the next 24 hours we'll find out more."
They had another late scare with star prop Josh Papalii going down clutching his knee - but he was able to get back up and finish the game.
Canberra fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad couldn't finish, however, coming off with a corked thigh.
Bulldogs hooker Jeremy Marshall-King was put on report for tripping, while somehow fiery Canterbury forward Tevita Pangai Junior avoided also being reported for a blow to the head of Adam Elliott - who was lying prone on the ground.
He could've been sent to the bin, but the bunker again opted for nothing more than a penalty.
Elliott was excellent - starting at dummy half before shifting into the middle.
Raiders fans were given a scare with the other No.6, Bulldog Matt Burton, threatening every time he touched the ball.
It broke the Green Machine's five-game losing streak in front of their raft of NRL legends, who were in the stands to celebrate the Raiders' 40th anniversary.
But it was that lesser-known Raider Frawley who set up the first half that guided them to victory.
He looked to have put Hudson Young over for a try only for it to be ruled a forward pass.
He scored a try himself - a double dummy delight that had Bulldogs fullback Matt Dufty clutching at thin air.
He should've had a try assist, but Canberra co-captain Jarrod Croker couldn't ground Frawley's deft grubber on his return to the side for his first game this season.
It was one of a number of deft kicks from the half, who forced several goal-line drop-outs.
"Matty Frawley he led the team really. He was a great voice, he talked very well, he was a great voice for [young halfback Brad Schneider]," Stuart said.
"What I like about Frawls' game is he's old school - he plays the margin game, he plays inch for inch.
"It's not a high-risk game, it's just a metre-for-metre game and I like that type of half's game."
Burton was using both his running games and kicking games to open up the Green Machine.
He thought he'd set up winger Josh Addo-Carr for the opening try, only for the bunker to save Canberra with an obstruction call.
But Burton crossed himself - his chip for Addo-Carr eventually coming back to himself to slice through to open the Bulldogs' account - after the Raiders gave away a six-again on the fifth tackle.
It had Canberra nerves jangling about another second-half fade - after an Elliott Whitehead try on his return from a gruesome head clash had set up a 10-0 half-time lead.
Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett said the next stage of Burton's development would be his game management.
"He's going to get better and better and better the more he plays at six," he said.
"He's starting to get around the field more. One of the best attributes he's got is he's not frightened to play.
"You see that even though the drop-out went out on the full he'll chance his arm and I want him to keep doing it.
"We need him to play. He's extremely talented, but still learning the role there a little bit.
"The big guns come to the fore with the big plays at the right times and I thought he's done that the last couple of weeks.
"We've just got to get more ball and we need a complete performance, and it wasn't that tonight."
In the game of Matt's, Bulldogs fullback Matt Dufty had a shocker - perhaps highlighting why the Green Machine opted against signing him in the off-season.
He was soundly beaten by Frawley and threw an intercept pass, gladly accepted by Raiders 100-gamer Nick Cotric.
While they dominated possession in the first half - and should've led by more - given their recent troubles, every Raiders fan would've been posing the question - can they hold on in the second half?
Burton's try got the nerves jangling, but the Raiders were able to hang on for a much-needed win.
AT A GLANCE
CANBERRA RAIDERS 14 (Elliott Whitehead, Matt Frawley tries; Jarrod Croker 3 goals) bt CANTERBURY BULLDOGS 4 (Matt Burton try) at Canberra Stadium. Referee: Ben Cummins. Crowd: 12,890.