Coach Trent Robinson told his attacking weapons to go for the jugular just seconds before the Sydney Roosters scored their premiership-winning try.

With Canberra dominating possession and field position, the Roosters were hanging on for their lives at 8-8 for the majority of the second half.

And with 10 minutes left, the Roosters realised they couldn’t hold on forever.

So if given half an opportunity, they were told to take it on and go for it.

And it was exactly that they did.

With eight minutes left and the Raiders defence slightly amiss after a quick Boyd Cordner play-the-ball, Luke Keary went to dummy-half, ran and put Latrell Mitchell away.

The centre flicked the ball to Daniel Tupou, who found James Tedesco on his inside to end the 26-year hoodoo of NRL premiers being able to go back to back.

“If we had tried to hold on, we would have lost. But we went after the game,” Keary said.

“I got a message from Robbo – I’m not even kidding – probably 30 seconds before that try.

“You just have to take your chances. If you get a chance, go after it. Kingy (trainer Matt King) came out and said it.

“And honestly 30 seconds later we tried to get out there, Boydo got tackled and then a quick one.

“We had no markers. (Canberra centre Joey) Leilua was in a bit of strife, I think, he had a back or a shoulder or something.”

Keary admitted at times he thought the Roosters were gone in the second half as they found themselves down to 12 men and the Raiders attacking their line.

But it was fitting that their own left edge finished the job.

It was the side of Cordner, Keary, Mitchell and Daniel Tupou’s 57th try created down that channel this year – by far and away the most in the NRL.

They were now not only the best edge combination in the competition, but arguably of any edge this decade.

“I wouldn’t trade them for anyone in the world,” Keary said.

“All three of them. But they did a good job on us. We couldn’t really get anything going. Even myself. I was in and out. I couldn’t get any rhythm.

“I knew I had to get my mate (Latrell) the ball when the game was on the line and I tried the one over the top – which I thought was on – but I couldn’t execute.

“I just knew we had to keep going.”