If Jordan Rapana was rocks last week, this week he was a finely polished diamond.
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But unfortunately for him he finished the game seeing stars and will miss next week's clash against St George Illawarra due to concussion protocols.
This was the quintessential Ricky Stuart ambush - getting the Green Machine up from conceding 50 points last week to beating the undefeated Brisbane Broncos this week.
Canberra took down the ladder-leading Broncos 20-14 at Lang Park on Saturday night.
Rapana was excellent, scoring two tries, but he'll miss next week due to the mandatory 11-day stand down after he was carried off the field following a sickening knee to his head.
It saw Brisbane prop Martin Taupau put on report despite the accidental nature of the incident.
Stuart confirmed Rapana would miss next week's home game against the Dragons and said he felt for Taupau and hoped he didn't get suspended.
But Rapana's first-half tries laid the platform for the Green Machine as they turned around their poor second-halves.
That was in stark contrast to last week when he struggled, but it showed his mettle in turning things around.
It didn't surprise his co-captain Jarrod Croker, who was full of praise for his veteran winger.
"I thought Rapa was one of our best. Every game I've played with Rapa he's given 110 per cent for the jersey," he said.
"That's all he's done his whole career. That's the sort of player he is.
"He can not do a whole pre-season and you just give him a footy jersey and a ball and he'll go for you. And tonight was no different. I think he's OK as far as I know."
The Raiders did it without star prop Joe Tapine, who stayed in Canberra for the birth of his first child.
Corey Horsburgh tackled his heart out and Jamal Fogarty steered the team well around the park.
Croker was perfect from the kicking tee in his return from a shoulder reconstruction - now he's just seven games short of the 300 mark.
They will be boosted by the return of five-eighth Jack Wighton (suspension) and Tapine next week and could also welcome back fullback Xavier Savage (jaw) as well.
The Broncos lost Thomas Flegler to a failed head injury assessment, while they also had Jordan Riki put on report for a facial on Hudson Young.
Stuart praised Horsburgh's efforts and felt the Queenslander would suit the State of Origin cauldron.
"He has got that Origin mentality. He's a tough kid and nothing fazes him," he said.
"When he's controlling his emotions - he gets bated all the time, but he enjoys that more so now rather than reacting to it."
The Raiders started with plenty of enthusiasm and they took advantage of it.
Their pressure forced the error and they went through the hands to create a simple overlap for Rapana to score the opening try.
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But errors have been a problem for the Green Machine all season and a Sebastian Kris drop of a bomb opened the door for the Broncos.
They simply went through the hands off the back of a scrum and Brisbane winger Selwyn Cobbo barged over the top of Kris to score in the corner.
But this wasn't the second half and the Raiders struck back.
Canberra hooker Zac Woolford intercepted the ball on his own tryline and the Green Machine motored up the other end.
Rapana was breathing fire - both with and without the ball.
He charged out of dummy-half, put on a fend and carried two Broncos over for his second.
He followed that up with a big hit on Brisbane centre Herbie Farnworth.
They took a 14-4 lead into the half-time break, but they were always going to be coming out from the sheds facing questions about their second half.
And those questions only increased when Raiders winger Albert Hopoate coughed up an Adam Reynolds grubber in-goal to allow Riki to score the simplest of tries.
But the Raiders settled and a great Woolford run out of dummy half got the Green Machine rolling forward.
Canberra halfback Fogarty then produced a pinpoint kick to the corner for Hopoate to score and settle the visitor's nerves.
The Green Machine then survived five consecutive Broncos sets on their own tryline to show much more resolve than they had in the past two weeks.
Brisbane sent it down to the wire when winger Jesse Arthars spectacularly dived for the corner to make it a converted try the difference with eight minutes remaining.
Rapana exited the game four minutes later when he was smashed by an accidental Taupau knee and will miss next week against St George Illawarra due to the 11-day stand down.
AT A GLANCE
CANBERRA RAIDERS 20 (Jordan Rapana 2, Albert Hopoate tries; Jarrod Croker 4 goals) bt BRISBANE BRONCOS 14 (Selwyn Cobbo, Jordan Riki, Jesse Arthars tries; Adam Reynolds goal) at Lang Park. Referee: Grant Atkins.
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