Defending premiers Newcastle have joined the Roosters at the top of the ladder with their fifth win of the NRLW season, beating Cronulla 22-14.

The Knights looked set to steamroll the Sharks when they led 16-0 at half-time, before the visitors mounted a big comeback to fall short.

Newcastle's win follows the Broncos' comprehensive win over third-placed Canberra at Langlands Park in Brisbane as the race to the NRLW finals continues.

Knights hold on against Sharks

It was the classic game of two halves in the Hunter as Newcastle beat Cronulla to consolidate a top-two spot with three rounds to play.

The Knights hit the ground running against the Sharks in Newcastle, with the crowd barely in their seats before Shanice Parker went over near the right corner in the second minute.

Things didn't improve for the Sharks, with Annessa Biddle sin-binned and put on report for a hip drop on Knights full-back Tamika Upton in the eighth minute.

From the ensuing set Tayla Predibon crashed over beneath the posts to make it 10-0 after the conversion.

The score remained the same until the half-hour mark when Newcastle went in on the left, some great hands from front-rower Caitlan Johnston sending Yasmin Clydesdale in for the third try of the game.

It was 16-0 at the break, and the Knights looked out of sight when a high-ball was fumbled at the back by Cronulla and Parker kicked the ball ahead into the in-goal to regather and score.

The Sharks weren't finished, however, as their comeback started in the 46th minute when winger Georgia Ravics maintained her balance and darted in to score right next to the corner flag on the right.

Cronulla continued to challenge the Knights, and after a set close to the line, Ellie Johnston crashed over to make it 22-10 with 18 minutes left.

The Sharks went in again out wide in the 59th minute, when prop Chloe Saunders popped up to score from close range but the kick was missed again, and despite numerous attempts, the visitors could get no closer than eight points.

The result leaves Newcastle trailing the Roosters on for and against, while Cronulla's finals hopes are fading, sitting in sixth with three games left.

Broncos stun Raiders with eight-try triumph

Brisbane Broncos kept open their chances of making the top four with a crushing 40-8 home win over Canberra Raiders.

The game did not go all the way of the hosts, with the Raiders running in two tries in the opening 11 minutes to take an 8-0 lead.

A brilliant cut-out pass from full-back Shakiah Tungai sent Jessica Gentle over in the right corner for the opener, before a chipped high-ball from half-back Ashleigh Quinlan was spilled by the Broncos for Cheyelle Robins-Reti to fall on for the score.

But that was the last points Canberra could put on the board as Brisbane ran riot for the rest of the game.

The Broncos brought the Langlands Park crowd alive after 19 minutes with some brilliance by Ali Brigginshaw, as she stepped the Raiders defence before flicking a perfect pass to Shenae Cisiolka on the right for Brisbane's first points.

Eight minutes later Julia Robinson got airborne near the opposite corner to plant it down near the flag. It was 10-8 at the break, but the Broncos really fired up in the second half with three tries in the opening six minutes.

Within two minutes of the restart, Brigginshaw crashed over under the posts, then an attack on the left saw another score for Gayle Broughton, before Lauren Dam went in again after the Raiders failed to cover a chip-ahead.

With the game well in control, the Broncos then ran over Canberra in the final 20 minutes with two more tries to the unstoppable Mele Hufanga and another to Dam.

The only sour point was a head clash suffered by Brigginshaw in the final ten minutes that left the Jillaroos star with a suspected broken nose.

Next week the Raiders will have to try to bounce back against the Knights in Canberra, while the Broncos will host Cronulla with a chance to jump into the top four with a win and a Canberra loss.

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