STICKY’S BOYS ESCAPE TO MAR K 200TH WITH VICT ORY

RAIDERS legend Ricky Stuart became the second man to notch 200 games as Canberra coach on Saturday night, behind Tim Sheens, but after 35 minutes there was much to ponder.

After 80, there was relief. Stuart’s side let 22 points in before they bothered the scorer at Canberra’s GIO Stadium against the Gold Coast Titans until the Raiders came charging home to win 24-22 and equal the best comeback in club history.

“Total annihilation for 39 minutes by the Titans (and) Ricky Stuart is going to have to pull out one of his biggest tricks to turn that around (at half time),” was how Cooper Cronk described it on Fox League. And Stuart did, exclaimed with a brutal tackle by centre Semi Valemei out of the line, with seconds remaining, flattening the Titans’ star fiveeighth AJ Brimson.

A late change to start Matt Frawley out of position at hooker – never having played there in his life – instead of Tom Starling who was originally named as Josh Hodgson’s replacement, proved fruitful in the second half.

Coming on after 25 minutes, Starling was dynamic from dummy-half, after the Raiders struggled to complete 50 per cent at the break.

And 55-year-old Stuart needed that comeback.