Canberra have continued to confound their critics by stealing an extra-time win over the Dolphins at Kayo Stadium on Saturday night with Jordan Rapana kicking the first and then the second field goal of his 208-game career.

With 22-year-old playmaker Kaeo Weekes stepping up in just his 17th NRL match with an outstanding performance including a crucial solo try in the second half, the Green Machine registered their seventh win of the year to join the Dolphins and Broncos on the fourth rung of the premiership ladder.

After trading tries for the score to be 18-18 midway through the second half, Weekes accelerated past opposite number Isaiaya Katoa to put the Raiders in front but the Dolphins edged in front with a try and Jamayne Isaako field goal before Rapana landed his first field to take the match beyond 80 minutes.

Dolphins lock Max Plath produced a chargedown early in the golden-point period but then gave away a blocking penalty when Isaako booted what should have been the match-winning one-pointer.

Rapana saved the day again when Katoa nearly grubbered ahead to score with referee Adam Gee correctly ruling he went for the ball rather than taking out the young halfback as they competed for the bouncing ball in the in-goal area.

He then landed the killer blow in the 87th minute even though the Dolphins cried foul that Jeremy Marshall-King was blocked as he tried to repel Rapana’s winning kick.

The Dolphins started on a downer when captain Jesse Bromwich was forced off, clutching at what appeared to be a pectoral injury. Club officials later claimed it was just a rib complaint but with the Kiwi veteran in his final season before retiring, he will undergo further treatment to assess the damage.

On the back of a Katoa 40-20 kick, Euan Aitken’s offload ushered Marshall-King over the line in the eighth minute for a 6-0 lead.

Xavier Savage equalised a few minutes later when he latched onto a bomb on the fly and when Ata Mariota muscled over, the Green Machine were up by six.

Dolphins winger Jack Bostock athletically touched down in the corner to square the ledger at 12-12 but the Raiders regained the lead when Elliott Whitehead plunged over.

Katoa created a lucky try for Jake Averillo when his questionable pass as he was tackled, ricocheted off legs and Mariota’s cover tackle for the centre to pounce.

The Dolphins half undid his good work 10 minutes later when he gave away a penalty to piggyback Canberra downfield and Weekes then brushed him off on the way to a superb solo try for a 24-18 buffer.

Just when it looked like the Raiders would close out another grinding win, the Dolphins worked their way downfield for utility Kurt Donoghoe to finish off haphazard lead-up play when a bomb was spilt and Marshall-King flung the ball wide.

Isaako nailed the sideline conversion and then made no mistake with his first shot at field goal with nine minutes still on the clock to give the hosts the edge heading into the frenetic closing stages.

Weekes went close to stealing the win with a two-point field goal attempt in the 77th minute before Rapana drilled a one-pointer to force extra time.