Raiders 38 Knights 18

AFTER struggling with a horrific injury toll earlier in the season, Canberra players held a meeting and vowed not to let it derail their finals campaign.

Now, with their first-choice fullback, halfback and hooker all among a long list of players unavailable, the Raiders are not just all but guaranteed of making the play-offs but are challenging for a top-four berth.

Skipper Alan Tongue yesterday became the fourth player to wear the luckless hooker's No.9 jersey this season as the Raiders demolished Newcastle at Canberra Stadium. He took over the position following injuries to Lincoln Withers (knee), Ryan Hinchcliffe (thumb) and Glen Buttriss (knee), while in-form custodian David Milne began the year as the No.3 fullback behind William Zillman (knee) and Bronx Goodwin (stood down).

Then there is five-eighth Terry Campese, who followed up his 36-point haul in last week's record 74-12 thrashing of Penrith by scoring another 14 points through a try and five goals - as well as laying on another four tries - and is clearly relishing the responsibility he has been given since Todd Carney was stood down last month and then sacked.

"At the start of the year we lost a few players so we had a quick chat about it and moved on," Campese said. "We have to do the job each week and not worry about who is in and who is out - just be confident in whoever is around you.

"We've had probably one of the worst injury tolls in the NRL. We've lost four starting players [Zillman, Withers, Carney and centre Phil Graham] and I know a lot of other clubs say they've had bad runs with injuries but so have we.

"We try not to dwell on it, and it doesn't matter who we put on the park, I think every player who has put on a green jumper this year has played with pride."

None more than Tongue, who could well be the NRL captain of the year - with Neil Henry coach of the year - given the steadying influence he has had on a side brimming with youth but obvious potential.

Tongue said Canberra management deserved credit for identifying the talent coming through the club's ranks, with forwards Dane Tilse, Trevor Thurling, Joe Picker and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs all having represented either the Junior Kangaroos or Australian Schoolboys.

"We totally rely on our juniors, and that's something the club has to be commended for," Tongue said. "We're missing a nine, a seven, a one and our No.4 in Phil Graham, so there's plenty of reasons I guess you could say we've drawn the short straw but we haven't looked at it like that.

"We're just playing with a lot of confidence, we're getting a lot of value out of our big guys up front, our halves have been playing fantastic footy and guys who probably have just been content with making the side or getting in on the bench have really stepped up and want to make a difference."

The biggest improver has been Campese, who midway through the season had a contract offer withdrawn by the Raiders. But since he re-signed, got engaged and was given the responsibility of directing the team around following Carney's departure, he has been starring.

In fact, so important is he now considered to the Raiders that Campese was yesterday targeted in defence as a tactic to tire him, and constantly niggled in a bid to put him off his game. Yet he still managed to steer his team to a 22-6 half-time lead.

"That's football. They try to get under your skin, and you've got to try not to lose it," said Campese, who traded punches with Newcastle lock Matt Hilder early in match and was later involved in a heated exchange with Knights forward Richard Fa'aoso.

"I heard them early in the game calling my name when they had the ball, but the boys helped me out. I kept swapping with Colin Best and Justin Carney, so we shared the workload."