The Broncos league team has continued its late season NRL slump with a fourth loss in a row in Round 22 action yesterday.
Brisbane was beaten 30-18 by Canberra, but still sits third on the table thanks to points differential.
Melbourne has 38 points and remains on top by six
points. They put defending premiers the Wests Tigers to the sword on Saturday, crushing them by 46-4.
A win next week will secure the minor premiership, if the Bulldogs lose as well.
The Bulldogs are comfortably in second place on 32 points.
Then there's a logjam from third place down.
Brisbane, Newcastle - who moved into fourth with a 32-18 win over the Roosters - Manly and St. George are all on 26 points.
Parramatta and Canberra make up the top eight on 24 points.
Penrith had been running hot, but the Rabbitohs' 32-26 upset win over the Panthers has forced the 2004 champions outside the playoff zone.
The Warriors sit third from bottom on 18 points, but remarkably have the third highest points differential in the competition.
For the teams in contention for the playoffs, the next round of matches sees the Storm play the Broncos, the Bulldogs clash with the Dragons, Newcastle meets Manly, Parramatta faces the Sharks, and Canberra is away to the Tigers.
The Warriors host the Cowboys on Saturday night at Mt. Smart stadium. The North Queensland team are right on the cusp of a top eight spot, but the Warriors will have no qualms about playing spoiler to the Cowboys' hopes, just as they did to the Sharks on Saturday night.
- NEWSTALK ZB
