"It's not all about next week, it's all about making sure we don't lose all that effort and the desire that's there. It's just not happening for us at the moment.
"There's little pieces of play that aren't going our way at the moment – they go our way we're sitting in the change rooms a lot happier."
But of more concern for Stuart could be the injury toll with Joey Leilua (ankle) and Charlie Gubb (groin) unable to finish the game, with a couple of others also in doubt to face the visiting New Zealand Warriors on Saturday.
Both winger Nick Cotric (knee) and Mr Fix-It Elliott Whitehead (back) needed treatment during the second half, but were able to finish the game.
The Knights stunned Canberra with a late win.
"I don't think it's looking real good [for Leilua and Gubb]. We've got a couple of other injuries too. I'll just have to see where we're at come Wednesday, Thursday," Stuart said.
But a positive for the Raiders was prop Shannon Boyd's start, providing plenty of physicality, and also five-eighth Blake Austin's running game, which looked dangerous whenever he took off.
A Boyd bullocking run took out Knights lock Mitchell Barnett (concussion) after just six minutes.
It was a see-sawing affair all night, with Newcastle recruit Aidan Guerra scoring the opener before the first of two brilliant Jordan Rapana efforts for the Raiders.
A nice flat Raiders fullback Jack Wighton ball set up Rapana's brilliant diving try and he also caught a pinpoint Sam Williams kick before flicking the ball back for Elliott Whitehead's first try as he was getting pushed into touch in mid air.
Kalyn Ponga was electric at fullback for the Knights and his goosestep set up Lachlan Fitzgibbon in a first half that ended 14-all.
Two Raiders offloads set up their second half four-pointers for Whitehead and Jarrod Croker, while Knights centre Tautau Moga and Connor Watson kept it close for the visitors.
Watson saved the referees' blushes when he bombed a try after they missed an illegal play-the-ball that would've turned over possession on halfway instead of a scrum near the Raiders' line.
Ironically, Raiders second-rower Josh Papalii was penalised for an incorrect play-the-ball, which led to Matautia crashing over to give the Knights the lead with just six minutes remaining.
The Raiders couldn't find an answer in the dying minutes and now face a confident Warriors at Canberra Stadium still looking for their first win.
In contrast the Knights are undefeated, with this narrow win on the back of last week's golden point victory over Manly.
"Those little wins build belief and trust and confidence. To start off the year two from two – a win against Manly, I thought after the game last week we've got a very good football team," Knights coach Nathan Brown said.
"Today again we've got a very dangerous football team with the amount of possession and penalties against us. Canberra won't lose many games down here at home if they get that run of play. I think they completed at 87 per cent and we were 84."
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It made for a sombre mood among Raiders fans with the post-match memorial service in honour of Kato Ottio. The former Raiders player died in January due to extreme heatstroke.
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 30 (Aidan Guerra, Lachlan Fitzgibbon, Tautau Moga, Connor Watson, Sione Matautia tries; Kalyn Ponga 5 goals) bt CANBERRA RAIDERS 28 (Elliott Whitehead 2, Jordan Rapana, Jarrod Croker tries; Croker 6 goals) at Canberra Stadium. Crowd: 12,686.
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David Polkinghorne is a sports reporter at The Canberra Times.
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