Souths, Roosters set to play for 1st in NRL
Melbourne and Manly are separated by two points.
SYDNEY (AP) - South Sydney has all but guaranteed a top-two finish in Australia s National Rugby League after beating the Canterbury Bulldogs 28-20, with Mitch Brown scoring twice for the high-flying Rabbitohs.
The win pulled Souths level with the Sydney Roosters with 38 points, although the Rabbitohs trail on points differential. The Roosters will have a chance to extend their first-place lead when they play Cronulla on Monday.
First place could be decided in two weeks when Souths and the Roosters meet in the final regular-season round before the eight-team playoffs begin.
Third-place and defending champions Melbourne and fourth-place Manly consolidated their positions on Sunday
the Sea Eagles beat Canberra 36-22 and the Storm, led by Billy Slater s three tries, overwhelmed Parramatta 64-4.
Melbourne and Manly are separated by two points and third place will likely be decided next week when the teams play at Manly.
Jerome Ropati scored two tries as the New Zealand Warriors beat the Gold Coast Titans 24-22 and James Segeyaro had his first career hat-trick as Penrith beat Brisbane 28-12, damaging the Broncos chances of finishing in the top eight.
The Wests Tigers beat St. George Illawarra 34-18 as 18-year-old halfback Luke Brooks scored a try and set up another while North Queensland extended its winning streak to four matches with a 26-6 win over Newcastle and moved into the top eight.
North Queensland coach Neil Henry said he was happy to be in a playoff position, but the challenge was to stay there with matches remaining against Cronulla and Wests Tigers.
"We need to control the possession," he said. "Our edges have to work very hard and our men in the middle have got to do a job, so very happy with that defensive commitment which has been there for probably a month now."
