The Raiders have struggled in close games over the past few years, winning just seven of their 26 matches decided by six points or less since 2014.

That trend's continued in the opening few rounds of their 2017 campaign, losing all three of their close encounters so far this season.

As well as going down to the Sea Eagles 20-18 in extra-time at Canberra Stadium on Friday, they also lost to the Brisbane Broncos through a late field goal and it took a freakish golden-try for the North Queensland Cowboys to beat them in round one.

Former Raiders five-eighth Terry Campese expected his old team would need to get used to close games, agreeing with Canberra coach Ricky Stuart the Green Machine wouldn't be able to blow teams away every week.

While Canberra's recent record in tight ones might not bode well for Green Machine fans, Campese was still expecting the Raiders to be there at the business end of the NRL season.

He felt their latest close loss would give them a steely resolve the next time.

"The whole team's doing the right thing just to be in these close games and in it to the final seconds," Campese said.

"They just need to keep doing what they're doing. The whole team's been doing well and they'll be better for the run being in these close games.

"They'll just make them want it more as it does hurt a lot to lose these ones in the dying seconds."

It was a sentiment echoed by another former Raiders skipper in Alan Tongue.

Tongue said it would help "battle harden" them as they prepare to travel to ANZ Stadium to take on the Canterbury Bulldogs, who will also go into the game on the back of a loss after Wests Tigers beat them 18-12 on Sunday.

The 220-gamer didn't think there was anything wrong with the way the Raiders were navigating their way through the closing stages of close ones and backed Josh Hodgson, Aidan Sezer and Blake Austin.

He enjoyed the way they backed themselves and continued to play their entertaining brand of football when the going got tight.

The Raiders went agonisingly close to scoring a golden try twice against the Sea Eagles, with five-eighth Austin's brilliant run almost catching the Manly defence off guard and then the following play when captain Jarrod Croker slipped at the crucial moment.

"I don't think there's any cause for concern. They've got a number of guys who are match winners," Tongue said.

"Whether they look back at it and think they might've set up for a field goal earlier in the piece, but it's hard to begrudge them of a style that's so entertaining and works so well for them.

"If they see a half opportunity, they take it. And a majority of the time they're scoring some points."

Tongue said travelling to face the Bulldogs was always tough, although the Raiders beat them both times they played them last season.

He said Canterbury had a big forward pack - a pack that contains captain James Graham.

It's rumoured the Bulldogs skipper is one of a few players the Bulldogs were shopping around as they look to ease salary cap pressure.

Campese said that could affect players one of two ways.

"That could be a plus or a minus for the Doggies. Some of the players in that position might feel a bit down and thinking ahead that they're going to lose their spot," he said.

"Or it could make them play better, thinking, 'I want to be in this team next year' ... and it makes them better and want to fight for it."

???NRL ROUND NINE

Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium, 5.30pm. Live on Fox League.