Without first-choice hooker Tom Starling (suspension) and Manly-bound halfback Jamal Fogarty (groin), the Raiders' youthful spine showed calmness and composure to run the Roosters down at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
Debutant halfback Ethan Sanders didn't look out of place in his first game for the Raiders, while Owen Pattie kicked a 40/20 and set up a try with a clever grubber kick in what was arguably his finest NRL game to date.
Fullback Kaeo Weekes, who was the most senior member of the Raiders spine with just 42 NRL games to his name, then set up lively five-eighth Ethan Strange for the match-winning try with a bust from inside Canberra's half.
The win leaves the Raiders second with a 10-3 record.
"You look at our spine and I don't know what our average age was but the oldest is Kaeo at 23," said Raiders coach Ricky Stuart.
"Ethan Sanders in his first game answered what I can't find out in training or scrimmage or NSW Cup - and that's handling decisions quickly as a half in the NRL.
"You probably had a glimpse of our future there tonight."
Fogarty may return for next week's clash with South Sydney but Stuart indicated he may take a cautious approach with his veteran halfback.
"I'm not going to risk him. We have a bye after our next game and we really need it," Stuart said.
Without Fogarty, Canberra's attack was cumbersome for much of the first half and it took the Raiders 35 play-the-balls in the Roosters 20m zone before they found a way over the line through Xavier Savage in the 31st minute.
The Roosters led 12-4 at halftime courtesy of Mark Nawaqanitawase and James Tedesco tries and looked set to pull away when Daniel Tupou gave them a 10-point buffer in the 55th minute.
But the Raiders conjured two tries out of nowhere in four minutes.
First, rookie winger Savelio Tamale tiptoed the sideline and flung a speculative offload back infield for a supporting Hudson Young to crash over.
Then Pattie stabbed a grubber kick to the in-goal and captain Joe Tapine pounced on the loose ball.
Strange finished Weekes's 73rd minute break to open some breathing space for Canberra before Rob Toia nabbed a consolation try for the Roosters.
"I felt it was very self-inflicted in the amount of yardage errors we turned over," said Roosters coach Trent Robinson.
"Those errors just invited a really good team into our own half too much."
