Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart would've happily taken NRL semi-final flogging

The Canberra Raiders coach didn't hide from the fact they were beaten by a better team - going down 40-4 to the Parramatta Eels on Friday night.

They were never really in the contest, with the Eels far too slick from the outset as they ran rampant on their home Parramatta Stadium.

It earned them spot in the preliminary final against the North Queensland Cowboys at Townsville next Friday.

The Raiders went into the game on the back of a five-game winning streak, having forced their way into the top eight over the back half of the season.

It looked like the Green Machine had run out of gas after they needed to win seven of their last eight games just to make the eight.

"They were too good for us tonight, they got us," Stuart said.

"If after round 12 this year, if one of you had've come and said to me I'll do a deal with you and you can get to the second semi-final and get flogged, what do you reckon I would've said?

"We were coming 11^th or 12^th or 15^th at one stage. What these blokes have done - that game there, that does not define these blokes, the team, the club.

"I'm very proud of them. I could not be prouder in regards to the journey they've been on, the difficulties we were confronted with.

"For us to get where we are today I'm very proud of them. Disappointed with the result? Absolutely.

"We didn't beat ourselves, we got beaten by a better team."

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Stuart was adamant the way they'd finished the season they would've been a top-four side - if it wasn't for the injuries that scuppered the start of their campaign.

They lost their starting hooker Josh Hodgson to a season-ending knee injury in round one, having already lost their new halfback Jamal Fogarty (knee) just before the opening round.

Then they lost their co-captain Jarrod Croker (shoulder) as well.

They struggled to find any cohesion and slipped to third last in round eight after five straight losses.

Canberra were a different side by the end of their campaign - once Fogarty was fit and started to build a combination with fellow half Jack Wighton from round 12 onwards.

Plus they showed plenty of lime green shoots with the emergence of a group of young guns that will be better for the finals experience - the likes of Hudson Young, Xavier Savage, Sebastian Kris and Matt Timoko.

"We would've made the top four mate," Stuart said

"The second half of the season showed that. We were only [two] wins out of the top four.

"So we would've made the top four - but we didn't. Every team gets some bad luck, every team gets some injuries.

"I'm not sitting here crying over spilt milk. Don't take it away from Parramatta, they did a good job."

Raiders co-captain Elliott Whitehead said they'd been written off after round eight and they could take positives over their second half of the season.

"They started fast and blew us away early on, and we couldn't get the momentum back our way," said.

"It's disappointing, but I couldn't be prouder of the team."

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