​Tigers continue Raiders horror home record in spiteful affair

David Shillington became the first player since 2013 to be sent off as the Tigers pulled off a 20-18 come-from-behind win over Canberra in front of 8,704 fans at GIO Stadium.

In the dying seconds of the highly-spiteful match, Shillington, celebrating his 200th NRL game, became the first player since Kade Snowden in 2013 to be sent off after headbutting Aaron Woods.

With so much to play for, the Raiders produced a disappointing performance as they sunk to their eighth loss at home this season which will require them to win their remaining four matches if they are to make the finals.

In a free-flowing but penalty ridden match, the Tigers struck first through Sauaso Sue, who crashed over after a well-timed short ball from Luke Brooks in the 13th minute.

For the remainder of the first half, the Raiders were camped deep down close to the Tigers tryline.

Following a string of penalties, Shannon Boyd struck twice before the break (26th & 37th minutes) to give the home side a 12-4 lead at halftime.

Shortly after the resumption of play, James Tedesco finished off a length of the field run instigated by David Nofoaluma to narrow the margin to 12-8 after 47 minutes.

Electing to run the ball on the last tackle, Pat Richards crossed in the corner shortly after the hour mark to put the Tigers back in front.

The lead was short lived however, as Jack Wighton produced a similar effort to the Tedesco try which saw Jarrod Croker give the Raiders back the lead with 15 minutes remaining on the clock.

With ten minutes left, James Tedesco stepped up to cut through Canberra's defence, with Luke Brooks trailing in support the Tigers crossed to run out 20-18 victors.

Poor execution ultimately cost Canberra, as halves Sam Williams and Blake Austin experienced disappointing nights. However hooker Josh Hodgson, making a surprise return from injury, was sensational in attack and defence, while Mitchell Barnett showed plenty of promise on debut.

Having strung together consecutive wins for the first time since the start of 2015, the Tigers will be buoyed by their enterprising attack.

Next week the Raiders face their most important match of the season against Manly at GIO Stadium on Sunday, while the Tigers will be looking to avoid the wooden spoon against Newcastle at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Match Details

Canberra Raiders 18 Wests Tigers 20
Venue: GIO Stadium
Crowd: 8704
Halftime Score: Canberra Raiders 12 Wests Tigers 4

CANBERRA RAIDERS (18)
Tries: Shannon Boyd (2), Jarrod Croker
Conversions: Jarrod Croker (3/3)

WESTS TIGERS (20)
Tries: Sauaso Sue, Pat Richards, James Tedesco, Luke Brooks
Conversions: Pat Richards (2/4)

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:

3 points - James Tedesco
2 points - Josh Hodgson
1 point - Shannon Boyd

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

Welcome to League Unlimited's coverage of Monday Night Football between Canberra Raiders and Wests Tigers at GIO Stadium.

Josh Hodgson comes back into the Raiders side at hooker, debutant Mitch Barnett will start in the second row. David Shillington plays his 200th NRL game.

Manaia Cherington replaces Brendan Santi on the bench for the Tigers.

Nu'uausala takes the first run of the night.

1: Jordan Rapana has little trouble defusing Mitchell Moses bomb.

3: Great work by the Raiders to trap James Tedesco in-goal. A pin-point kick from Sam Williams followed by a great chase will give the Raiders a great chance to post first points.

4: Jarrod Croker goes within a metre of scoring.

4: Tim Simona takes Sam Williams' bomb in-goal, from the restart the Tigers get a penalty.

6: Dene Halatau loses the ball close to the Raiders line.

7: James Tedesco finds a bit of space but loses his footing.

8: Blake Austin pulls off an important tackle on Luke Brooks close to the try-line.

9: Canberra draw a penalty and find touch 40 metres out.

10: Blake Austin can't hold onto a pass from Josh Hodgson, had the five-eighth been able to maintain possession the Raiders would've been in a position to score.

11: Joey Leilua manages to stop Tedesco 10 metres short of the Raiders line.

12: The Tigers elect to take a tap-restart from a penalty close to the posts.

13: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by Sauaso Sue. Kick to come.
A phenomenal short pass from Luke Brooks sees Sue barge over Jack Wighton to score.

14: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Pat Richards unsuccessful.
Richards pushes the kick to the left, poor miss from such an experienced kicker.

15: Sauaso Sue crossed for his first try since Round 14, 2014.

16: Canberra will start a set 30 metres out from their own line after Kevin Naiqama loses the ball.

17: Jack Wighton toes the ball ahead, but James Tedesco does a good job to collect the ball.

18: The Tigers pull off a try-saving tackle on Croker, subsequently they regain possession.

19: Kevin Naiqama is down injured, Sauaso Sue is being assisted off - this may be catastrophic for the Tigers.

19: Naiqama is staying on the field.

19: From the scrum, Joey Leilua passes the ball straight to Tim Simona.

19: Simona makes a break downfield, he decides to kick in-field for Tedesco but it appears as through the Tigers fullback has failed to ground the ball for a try.

19: The video referee rules NO TRY. Big let off for the Raiders and Leilua.

21: Robbie Farah comes up with the ball after a Raiders kick out of dummy half in a try scoring position.

21: Tigers find touch from a penalty 35 out from their own line.

21: Kyle Lovett on for the Tigers.

22: Seumanufagai and Vaughan on for the Tigers and Raiders respectively.

22: Jordan Rapana is able to watch a Tigers grubber kick roll dead, despite the best efforts of Tim Simona to score.

23: Canberra get a penalty 15 out from the Tigers line.

25: Luke Brooks goes for an intercept, but he knocks on. Raiders to get a scrum 10 metres out.

25: After a string of penalties, Robbie Farah is being talked to re: Tigers poor discipline.

26: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Shannon Boyd. Kick to come.
He's only been on the field a matter of minutes, but the rampaging prop scores for the Raiders.

27: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
From next to the posts, Croker has no trouble adding the extras. Raiders take the lead.

30: Seumanufagai earns a penalty for the Tigers, Richards finds touch just over halfway.

32: Brooks kick almost yields a try for the Tigers, but Mitchell Barnett does a good job to clean up for the Green Machine.

32: On halfway, the Tigers give away a penalty.

33: Sam Williams knocks on close to the Tigers tryline.

33: For such an important game for the Raiders there completions have been quite poor so far.

34: Manaia Cherington is on for the Tigers relieving Robbie Farah.

35: At the end of an attacking raid, Canberra come up with another error.

36: Both sides have been willing to throw the ball around, but their inability to hold onto the ball has been a major pitfall.

37: UNFORCED ERROR WESTS TIGERS
Luke Brooks makes an unforced error.
Aiming to kick a 40/20, Brooks puts the ball out on the full.

37: Another Canberra penalty from 10 metres out.

37: Shannon Boyd has crashed over for a try, but a major scuffle between both sides has seen the play referred to the video referee.

37: After scoring, Boyd threw the ball at Tedesco. If they overturn the try for that the referees dead-set don't have a clue.

37: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Shannon Boyd. Kick to come.
Commonsense prevails as the try is awarded.

37: Both Tedesco and Boyd get a talking to from Jarred Maxwell, but nothing comes of it.

37: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
Canberra take a 12-4 lead into the break.

38: The Raiders probably don't deserve to be leading this game, but the Tigers poor discipline has cost them dearly.

39: Kevin Naiqama finds some space, but the Raiders are able to halt his run.

40: Canberra take a 12-4 lead into halftime.

40: Seumanufagai takes the first hit up of the second half.

41: Kevin Naiqama is down injured again.

42: Brooks puts a bomb up but Sisa Waqa comes up with great take.

42: Sam Williams finds touch from a penalty on halfway.

43: Shannon Boyd is taken by three Tigers just short of the line.

45: Luke Brooks puts in a terrible kick as the ball goes dead.

47: Fensom is held up over the line by James Tedesco.

47: Nofoaluma makes a great kick return.

47: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by James Tedesco. Kick to come.
A poor kick by the Raiders has seen the Tigers run 100 metres to score.

48: Sisa Waqa and Jack Wighton did their best, but ultimately the Tigers were able to score out wide.

49: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Pat Richards unsuccessful.
For the second time tonight, Pat Richard misses.

50: Brooks puts a bomb up, but Wighton is able to leap above the Tigers chasers.

51: Nofoaluma does well to get out of his in-goal.

52: Waqa makes a great run, opting to kick ahead Blake Austin can't regather the ball.

52: Aaron Wood draws a penalty for the Tigers.

52: Jarrad Kennedy is on for Mitchell Barnett.

54: Williams looks for a 40/20, but Tedesco is able to get to the ball first.

55: The Tigers concede a 7-tackle set after Robbie Farah's kick rolls dead in-goal.

56: Waqa knocks on and as Nofoaluma looks to capitalise on the loose ball, he also makes an error. Tigers scrum.

58: Mitchell Moses can't hold onto the ball as the Tigers look to put on a sweep play to the right.

58: Canberra get a penalty inside their own half.

59: Hodgson is pulled down by Dene Halatau close to the tryline.

60: Sam Williams puts a kick in that goes dead in-goal.

60: For a side looking to make the finals, the Raiders execution hasn't been there tonight.

62: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by Pat Richards. Kick to come.
Opting to run the ball on the last, the Tigers expose an overlap to level the scores at 12-all. KTC.

63: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Pat Richards successful.
After missing his first two kicks, Richards coverts to give the Tigers the lead.

65: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Jarrod Croker. Kick to come.
From their own in-goal, the Raiders score from a Mitchell Moses bomb.

66: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
From right in front, Croker puts the Raiders back in front.

67: From the re-start, Jack Wighton makes a 50 metre break.

68: Fensom loses the ball with the line wide open.

70: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by Luke Brooks. Kick to come.
This is insane! Tedesco makes a great run to put the Tigers over through Brooks.

71: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Pat Richards successful.
The Tigers take back the lead.

72: Wighton makes a good take after Brooks put a high ball up in an attacking position.

73: Williams puts in a woeful kick, but the Raiders will get a repeat set.

74: Luke Brooks comes up with possession after Blake Austin offloaded close to the line.

74: On the very next play, Tim Simona makes a mistake. Canberra scrum from 10 metres out.

75: Williams dummies, but is caught by the Tigers defenders.

76: Josh Hodgson has had a terrific game tonight, but it's hard to comprehend why Kurt Baptiste hasn't received any game time tonight.

78: Jarrad Kennedy puts a kick in on the last. That's a terrible play from the Raiders.

79: The Raiders will need to travel 100 metres with a minute remaining.

79: David Shillington loses the ball on halfway and the Tigers will win.

80: Shillington has lost his head - he's tried to headbutt Aaron Woods.

80: SENT OFF
David Shillington is sent off the field.
He won't forget his 200th game, Shillington has been sent off. The first player since Kade Snowden in Round 24, 2013.

80: Tigers win 20-18.