Canberra have survived an almighty Wests Tigers comeback, clinching a 20-19 NRL win thanks to a controversial penalty goal in the dying minutes.

After going pointless for more than an hour, the Tigers looked to have pulled off a win for the ages when they scored three tries in four minutes to draw level at 18-18 with eight minutes to play.

They then took the lead through a Luke Brooks field goal that sent the Campbelltown crowd into raptures.

But as Jamal Fogarty attempted a one-pointer of his own, referee Gerard Sutton ruled Tigers forward Isaiah Papali'i had made illegal late contact with the Raiders halfback's legs.

Fogarty was permitted to shoot for a penalty goal from directly in front, the Raiders sealing a tight win that has them closing in on the NRL's top four.

"It's unfortunate. I feel sorry for the poor bugger (Papali'i)," Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said.

"It was one of those accidents and yeah it went our way but I feel sorry for him because he's only trying to contribute to a team."

Tigers coach Tim Sheens would not be drawn to comment on the call.

"Ricky does that and it costs him $10k so I'm not going to do that today," he said.

"It's a tough way to lose a game but that's what we call experience.

"They'll learn from that."

But Sheens said he would be in contact with the NRL, chiefly to question why the Raiders were not penalised for taking Luke Brooks out of play in the lead-up to their third try.

"Brooksy getting pushed, I think was a poor call. He was running towards the ball," Sheen said.

"You can't push someone over. I'm not happy about that one either.

"There were a number of things that I think were poor.

"I make my comments to the referees. I've got a couple of issues."

Fogarty scored two tries off his own boot and set up a third to put the Raiders in the box seat, up 18-0 with 12 minutes to play.

But the game was turned on its head when Sutton sin-binned Raiders back-up hooker Tom Starling for repeated infringements on the goal-line as the final 10 minutes approached.

The extra-man advantage proved the perfect invitation for the Tigers, who had looked more dangerous on the edges all night but were thwarted by resilient Raiders defence.

Boom rookie Jahream Bula skipped through a hole in the defence to open the Tigers' scoring, and in the very next set Brooks burst down the left side on a line break that put former Raider John Bateman in position to score.

With the home crowd on its feet, Tigers five-eighth Brandon Wakeham equalised with his own kick-and-chase, before Brooks put the Tigers in front for the first time.

A fairytale win was not to be however.

"That's the game these days," said Tigers captain Api Koroisau.

"You touch a kicker or they end up in a vulnerable position, there's a chance of being penalised. I think it's unlucky, I thought he was on the ground sliding into him. It is what it is."

After losing four of their first five games this season, Canberra have now won seven from eight and could finish the weekend outside the top four on for-and-against only.

The Tigers have lost their last seven games at Campbelltown Stadium, one of their two primary home grounds from 2024, and have not won there since June 2020.

Canberra hooker Zac Woolford found himself placed on report for a lifting tackle on John Bateman just after the break and faces a nervous wait for Saturday's charge sheet.