NRL: Milford leads Raiders past Titans

Shaun Fensom of the Raiders celebrates scoring a try with teammates. Photo / Getty Images

Fullback Anthony Milford has produced an NRL masterclass to guide Canberra to an upset 36-20 win over the Gold Coast Titans.

The 20-year-old livewire, who last month rejected a rich offer from the Raiders to sign with Brisbane, only underlined how much they'll miss him next season with a sublime performance at Cbus Super Stadium on Sunday.

Milford was involved in everything in the first half, scoring one try and having a hand in two others as the visitors went to halftime leading 20-10.

His second try - four minutes from fulltime - was the icing on the cake for the Raiders as they snapped a four-match losing streak.

While Canberra remain only the smallest of mathematical chances of playing in the finals, the loss was a major blow to the Titans who blew a golden chance to move back within striking distance of the top eight.

It was the club's sixth home loss in a row, played before a disappointing crowd of 10,574.

After a bright start, the Raiders opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Milford slipped through a half-gap before flick passing to youngster Brenko Lee who crossed beside the posts.

The home side hit back seven minutes later through James Roberts to reduce the margin to two points and they moved to the front soon after.

After deftly scooping up a Terry Campese grubber, Dave Taylor sprinted 70 metres downfield.

In the next passage of play he produced a silky offload to put winger Kalifa Faifai Loa over in the corner.

Kevin Gordon's sideline conversion put the Titans ahead 10-6 but the Raiders regained the lead when Milford started and finished a movement.

The Broncos recruit was in the thick of the action again on the stroke of halftime, producing a brilliant no-look tap-on for Jarrod Croker to storm over under the crossbar and the centre converted to rack up 14 unanswered points for the Raiders.

Canberra started the second half by continually punching holes in the Titans' defence but the tide soon swung.

The video referee controversially overruled a try to Maurice Blair after 55 minutes, but the Titans were not to be denied a minute later when Gordon somehow managed to stay in the field of play as he planted the ball in the corner.

The Raiders regained their composure and a try to Shaun Fensom through a yawning gap in the Titans' defence sealed the result 13 minutes from the final whistle.

Further tries to halfback Josh McCrone and Milford rubbed salt in the wounds before Faifai Loa's second try - after the final siren - added small consolation for the Titans.

- AAP