In the last few minutes Jarrod Croker heartbreakingly went down and big man Josh Papalii was screaming in pain moments later with a leg complaint. Earlier in the second half fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad came off walking gingerly.

He was unable to return to the match, however, a corked left thigh is the suspected culprit and the Raiders don't believe it will keep Nicoll-Klokstad sidelined next week.

There was another injury update that will be uplifting news for all Raiders fans, though. New halfback Jamal Fogarty could be on the field three weeks earlier than expected from his knee setback.

Mix Canberra's Adam Jansen reported Fogarty was back running again at training, and around four to five weeks from returning. Watch this space.

Raiders winger Nick Cotric must have taken some confidence from NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler name-dropping him this week because he was much more involved against his old club and showed flashes of what he can deliver when playing at his best.

In his 100^th game in a Raiders jersey and playing against his teammates from last year, Cotric had his most impressive game this season.

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Cotric had a try denied for a double movement in the first half, but in attack he looked hungry for extra metres, made himself ever-present looking for the ball and in defence was solid.

The highlight was an intercept and tireless 50-metre gain early in the second half that led to Croker scoring a penalty goal to give the home side a 12-0 lead.

One of the greatest moments of the game was fill-in five-eighth Matt Frawley selling the lollies - nay, the whole darn lolly shop - with a beauty of a dummy that left a flat-footed Bulldogs fullback Matt Dufty stuck in the mud.

Frawley scored right under the uprights before half-time as a result to give the Raiders a 10-0 lead and get some just reward for all their possession inside the Bulldogs' territory.

Before Croker came off in the final minutes injured, he chalked up NRL game No.292 and was given a rousing reception from the Green Machine fans in his long-awaited return to first grade.

Croker was unlucky to be denied a first-half torso try off a Frawley grubber, with the referees' bunker finding a knock-on in the chase, but otherwise he looked dangerous down the left edge. The team benefited greatly from his experience and leadership, and Cotric certainly showed the pair enjoy an undeniable chemistry.

Tevita Pangai Junior was lucky in every sense of the word.

His elbow shove of former Bulldog Adam Elliott as the Raider made a tackle was an atrocious act.

The Canberra faithful were screaming for Pangai Jr to be sin-binned. He was lucky to stay on the field.

You couldn't ask for a better Viking ambassador.

Paul Osborne jetted halfway around the world from the land of the Viking to blow the horn at the Raiders' 40th anniversary celebrations.

The Raiders premiership player is living in Sweden where he's studying the language of the Raiders' forefathers - Swedish.

About 60 past Green Machinists came from all around the world to gather at Canberra Stadium to celebrate the club's glittering history.

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