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Brisbane have entered the NRLW top four for the first time this year with a thrilling 32-28 win over Cronulla at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville.
Captain Ali Brigginshaw backed up at halfback after badly breaking her nose last week in the win over Canberra, but it was her halves partner Gayle Broughton who was the star with a try double and a slick game in general play.
The Broncos moved temporarily into third position on eight competition points with the win. The Sharks are four points outside the top four on four points and all but out of the finals race.
Brigginshaw set up flying fullback Hayley Maddick for the opening try before Sharks prop Ellie Johnston crashed over from close range and fullback Jada Taylor sliced through to extend the lead to 10-4.
Star Cronulla number six Emma Tonegato went for a HIA after she had blood streaming from her nose from an accidental head clash with teammate Tiana Penitani.
Brisbane scored three tries in the space of eight minutes either side of halftime through prop Annetta Nu'uausala, Broughton and winger Julia Robinson.
When the Broncos took a 32-16 lead through Destiny Brill and another Broughton try it appeared the match was sealed. Two tries in as many minutes to Sharks winger Georgia Ravics and Tonegato, with a sensational long-range effort, set up a nailbiting finish but Brisbane hung on.
Raiders take early lead, get run down by Knights at home
Newcastle Knights have again proven their ability to mount successful comebacks, coming from 10 points down to beat the Canberra Raiders in a top-four clash in the nation's capital.
The Knights' 20-12 win put them top of the table, at least for now ahead of the Roosters' match against Parramatta on Sunday afternoon.
The contest was fierce from the start, with the visitors trying to clinch a fifth successive victory, while the Raiders went into the game unbeaten at Canberra Stadium.
The Raiders had several chances, where they were attacking the Knights' line, but they couldn't get through.
Raiders players were held up or stopped short on a couple of occasions.
It took until the 23rd minute for one of the sides to make a breakthrough. Canberra attacked up the middle, before spinning the ball to the left.
Halfback Ashleigh Quinlan then provided the killer looping pass over the top for Madison Bartlett, who sprinted for the corner and got the ball down.
Zahara Temara missed the difficult conversion.
The Knights could not get on the board, and then with just over three minutes left in the half Canberra struck again with a brilliant try. Mackenzie Wiki ran at the defence, then went around the line to the right and sprinted 40m downfield before being stopped.
The ball was spread wide to the left and this time it went to Bartlett who was tackled, but got a pass to centre Cheyelle Robins-Reti who ran forward and then slipped a pass back to Bartlett who scored her second of the game from close range.
Temara added the extras to make it 10-0 at the break.
The Knights began the second stanza on the attack, and they earned their reward five minutes in.
Hannah Southwell was stopped five metres out, then the ball was spread to the left, and Caitlan Johnston threw a long pass to five-eighth Georgia Roche, who ran and then spun back to evade tacklers before dropping to ground the ball.
It was 10-6 after the conversion, but the Raiders quickly replied, forcing a line drop-out after the kickoff went through the Knights in-goal. A penalty for a time violation followed, and the Raiders took the points through Temara.
Things turned against the home side, with a HIA taking Wiki off for 15 minutes, and then Newcastle burst through the Raiders' defence with a great break from Tameka Upton, setting up a try on the right to Sheridan Gallagher.
The try was converted, levelling it up at 12-12 with just under 20 minutes left.
The Raiders defence was under huge pressure, and the Knights were in again less than 90 seconds later, with Southwell stepping and then barging over from a few metres out to put Newcastle ahead for the first time.
She converted her own try to make it 18-12, and the Knights extended the lead with a penalty in the 25th minute.
The Raiders tried hard to bounce back, but they couldn't get on the scoreboard and the Knights sealed a sixth win of the season.
Compounding the Raiders' home loss, inspirational co-captain Simaima Taufa appeared to injure her right shoulder attempting a tackle in the second half.
She managed to play through the pain despite reeling out of the contact in significant pain, clutching the same shoulder she hurt during the grand final of the NSWRL Women's Premiership in May.
Canberra cannot afford to lose middle forward Taufa as they fight to overcome an inferior points differential and lock up a finals berth in their inaugural season.
North Queensland Cowboys thrashed by finals-chasing St George Illawarra Dragons
St George Illawarra gave themselves a sliver of hope of reaching the finals with a 48-16 flogging of North Queensland to move up to sixth.
The Dragons rarely looked challenged as they recorded their third win of the season to end the Cowboys' faint finals hopes.
Teagan Berry again starred, with a break in the lead up to the Dragons' first try, providing the final pass for another and scoring a four-pointer of her own late.
Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa was immense up front for the Red V, while captain Raecene McGregor set up two tries.
The Dragons will likely need to win their final two matches to have a chance of making the finals.
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