"(Giving away penalties) put a lot of pressure on ourselves and Melbourne showed us how to play disciplined footy in finals. They completed sets and put a lot of pressure on us. That's what the three of their big boys do and the rest of their team.
"They're a quality team and they showed us how to play finals."
Maguire was disappointed by his side's inability to convert second-half pressure into points, and put that down to a lack of finals experience.
And he said rookie halfback Adam Reynolds and five-eighth John Sutton would be better for the touch-up they received from finals veterans Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith.
"Every experience that the players have had this year they've lifted," he said. "Right throughout the year we've learned lessons from every game that we've played. The losses and the wins.
"That was a tough loss to take but we took a lot out of that.
"We got a lot out of that game on the weekend about what we need to do this week.
"I know Sutto and Reyno will perform to their capabilities. If we get our forward pack moving forward and they can play off the back of that, it makes things fall our way.
"When you're playing in finals you've got to take those opportunities ... We didn't play to our capabilities and Melbourne took their chances."
Currently on a six-game winning run, Canberra are a vastly different proposition to the outfit that were belted by Souths 36-18 in round 12.
Missing that day were fullback Josh Dugan and centre Blake Ferguson, dropped for disciplinary reasons, and Maguire was quick to remind his team of the Raiders' strong recent form.
"They're a team that are working for each other," he said.
"When they're doing that they're giving themselves a chance."
Rabbitohs v Raiders
ANZ Stadium, 9.45 tonight
Referees: Matt Cecchin, Tony Archer
- AAP
