Canberra Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty reveals his reaction to Wests Tigers rest

But the Raiders halfback knows it will help give them the best chance of taking down the Melbourne Storm in their elimination final on Saturday.

Fogarty felt the Raiders' "unique" brand of football disrupted the Storm's defence and was a factor in their four-game winning streak in Melbourne.

The 28-year-old's Green Machine career started in a disrupted fashion itself, missing the opening 11 rounds due to a knee injury suffered on the eve of the season.

But he's strung together 13 games over the second half of the campaign to establish his halves partnership with Jack Wighton.

It's why he wasn't overly impressed when Stuart told him he'd be coming off at half-time of the Raiders' 56-10 rout of the Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday.

Stuart also rested Wighton and co-captain Elliott Whitehead from the game.

"I wasn't too happy about it. Sticky came in at half-time and said I'm going to sit you on the bench now, put [Albert Hopoate] out and give him a bit of game time," Fogarty said.

"I probably said not so much nice things about him and asked him why I can't keep playing.

"But obviously he had a plan for a couple of the boys to get a rest before next week - and that's the main thing."

Fogarty said the last month of football, with the Raiders winning their final four games of the regular season, gave them confidence going into the finals.

The Raiders have a bizarre recent record against the Storm - having only won one of their past six encounters, but winning four straight in Melbourne.

That included knocking off the Storm 20-16 down south in round 18 - the start of their run of seven wins in eight games that propelled them into the top eight and finals.

Fogarty said that result had given the young Raiders confidence in what they were capable of.

He also felt the uniqueness of the Raiders' style of football - a bit more off the cuff - could disrupt the Storm's defence.

"The Melbourne game, we had a fair few young fellas in that game, and it gave them a bit of confidence," Fogarty said.

"Melbourne have been so good since I've been here, to go down there and play the way we did [was] a good little confidence booster.

"Our style of football is a little bit unique and different to other teams. Melbourne are very defence-orientated and so good at it, but I think our second-phase offloads kind of disrupt it a little bit."

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Fogarty felt him missing the start of the Green Machine campaign meant they'd been limited in attack when he came in, but had become more expansive since then.

The side has settled down, built combinations and freed up in attack.

That continuity was especially important in the spine, which has established itself with Fogarty and Wighton in the halves, Xavier Savage at fullback and Zac Woolford and Tom Starling sharing the hooking duties.

It's helped Savage develop into the best young fullback in the NRL.

He's become a key cog in Canberra's attack, but Fogarty said the 20-year-old's organisation of their defensive line was the most important thing.

Fogarty also revealed a change of tack in the way they worked on Savage's game was paying dividends.

"Myself, Jacko, Ricky, the coaching staff and the senior players if he did something wrong at training we were quick to jump on him and it probably knocks his confidence around," he said.

"Whereas the last couple of weeks we're probably taking a different side to it - for the things that he's doing well we're praising him and that's going to be better for his confidence.

"If he can get our defensive numbers right and be on the ball ... creating a bit of a spark for us then Xavier's doing his job.

"He's just in a good head space at the moment."

NRL ELIMINATION FINAL

Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Melbourne Storm at Melbourne, 5.40pm.