Blows for Souths, Broncos in tight NRL finals race
The race for the NRL’s top eight has narrowed, with Brisbane and South Sydney all but knocked out of finals contention after disappointing losses.
Brisbane fell dismally to Canterbury 41-16 in round 21, while the Rabbitohs were outclassed 32-12 by Canberra.
With six rounds of the regular season left, both sides will most likely have to win all their remaining matches to make finals.
The resurgent Gold Coast will also need to win their remaining games after their comeback win over the Dolphins kept them mathematically in the hunt.
This season has been quite the fall from grace for last season’s runners up Brisbane.
“We were just flat. I can’t explain why. We just weren’t there for most of it,” coach Kevin Walters lamented after his side’s loss to the Bulldogs.
The Rabbitohs have performed admirably in their late-season surge, but were unable to continue their form against the Raiders.
With tough tests against league leaders Melbourne and reigning champions Penrith ahead, they remain in mathematical contention only.
The Raiders also face a tricky run-in but have finally found some form with the return of halfback Jamal Fogarty from injury.
They leapfrogged St George Illawarra into ninth after the Dragons were thumped 46-10 by the Panthers.
With Penrith and the Storm all but guaranteed finals football, six spots remain up for grabs for the chasing 13 to fight over.
Just four points separate the Bulldogs in fifth place from 10th-placed St George.
RUN HOME FOR THE NRL FINALS CONTENDERS
1. MELBOURNE (36 points, +159) – St George Illawarra (home), South Sydney (away), Penrith (a), Dolphins (h), North Queensland (a), Brisbane (a).
2. PENRITH (32, +154) – Newcastle (h), Parramatta (a), Melbourne (h), Canberra (a), South Sydney (h) Gold Coast (h)
3. SYDNEY ROOSTERS (28, +213) – Dolphins (a), bye Parramatta (h), Gold Coast (a), Canberra (h), South Sydney (a)
4. CRONULLA (28, +117) – South Sydney (h), Gold Coast (a), Newcastle (h), St George Illawarra (a), Warriors (h), Manly (a)
5. CANTERBURY (26, +88) – Canberra (h), St George Illawarra (a), Dolphins (h), Warriors (a), Manly (h), North Queensland (h)
6. NORTH QUEENSLAND (26, +11) – Wests Tigers (a), Brisbane (h), Canberra (h), bye, Melbourne (h), Canterbury (a)
7. MANLY (25, +93) – bye, Warriors (h), Canberra (a), Canterbury (a), Wests Tigers (a), Cronulla (h)
8. DOLPHINS (24, +39) – Sydney Roosters (h), Warriors (h), Canterbury (a), Melbourne (a), Brisbane (h), Newcastle (a)
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9. CANBERRA (24, -71) – Canterbury (a), Manly (h), North Queensland (a), Penrith (h), Sydney Roosters (a), St George Illawarra (a)
10. ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA (24, -92) – Melbourne (a), Canterbury (h), Gold Coast (h), Cronulla (h), Parramatta (a), Canberra (h)
11. NEWCASTLE (22, -97) – Penrith (a), Wests Tigers (h), Cronulla (a), South Sydney (a), Gold Coast (h), Dolphins (h)
12. WARRIORS (21, -22) – Parramatta (h), Dolphins (a), Manly (a), Canterbury (h), Cronulla (a), bye
13. BRISBANE (20, +0) – Gold Coast (a), North Queensland (a), bye, Parramatta (h), Dolphins (a), Melbourne (a)
14. GOLD COAST (20, -82) – Brisbane (h), Cronulla (h), St George Illawarra (a), Sydney Roosters (h), Newcastle (a), Penrith (a)
15. SOUTH SYDNEY (20, -110) – Cronulla (a), Melbourne (h), Wests Tigers (a), Newcastle (h), Penrith (a), Sydney Roosters (h)
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