NRL: Broncos win at possible big cost

Darren Lockyer. Photo / Getty Images

Broncos: 18
Sea Eagles: 10

A potential season-ending injury to fullback Josh Hoffman and a looming suspension for star forward Sam Thaiday has taken the shine off Brisbane's 18-10 NRL win over Manly last night.

A game that had absolutely no bearing on either side's position in the top eight turned into a nightmare for Brisbane whose premiership stocks will plummet should Hoffman's scans bring bad news and Thaiday is rubbed out by the judiciary after dumping Manly prop Brent Kite on his head in the 68th minute.

The win could come at an enormous cost, but if nothing else, Brisbane gave retiring skipper Darren Lockyer the farewell his adoring fans turned out to see in his final regular season match - although the Broncos play the Warriors at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.

"It doesn't look good for Josh [Hoffman] and hopefully Sammy's tackle was not too bad," said Lockyer after the win.

As Brisbane players tried to defend Thaiday one of the referees could be heard saying "I don't like it, I'm not going to debate it."

And Thaiday, whose last judiciary appearance was in 2007, said he would be "wishing on all his lucky stars" in the next few days.

Missing five players, including Brett and Glenn Stewart and five-eighth Kieran Foran, to injury and suspension from the wash up of their "Brookie Brawl" last weekend, Manly threatened to spoil Lockyer's big afternoon at Suncorp Stadium.

Bulldogs: 36
Rabbitohs: 22

The Bulldogs were chasing a near-impossible target against Canberra yesterday, but at least mercurial fullback Ben Barba finished the season with a record in the Bulldogs 36-22 win.

Barba posted a scintillating four try performance, including two within two minutes, to end the season with 23 and finish as the equal leading tryscorer with South Sydney's Nathan Merritt.

But even so, the day belonged to retiring Bulldogs skipper Andrew "Bobcat" Ryan - for good and embarrassing reasons.

The veteran second rower capped off his stellar career with a try in the 65th minute, but unfortunately a post-try celebration gone wrong almost turned the moment into a very painful one.

After running off some clever work from Ben Roberts and Frank Pritchard, Ryan rushed to the Bobcat excavator that was positioned behind the goal posts as a tribute.

But as he prepared to mount the machinery, Ryan slipped over and almost gave himself a very nasty groin injury to take into retirement.

The Bulldogs ran out for captain Ryan's last match knowing they needed to win by 90 points or more to leap-frog Newcastle on for and against and qualify for the top eight.

But despite the Star Wars theme at ANZ Stadium and on the players jerseys and a Josh Morris try from their first set, the Bulldogs weren't capable of making fantasy a reality.

Roosters: 40
Storm: 8

Minor premiers Melbourne rested their big guns but still lost three players to worrying injuries as they crashed 40-8 to the Sydney Roosters in the last regular season game of the year last night.

With first place in the bag when Brisbane beat Manly earlier yesterday, the Storm withdrew test stars Billy Slater and Cameron Smith, along with props Jesse Bromwich and Bryan Norrie, before kick-off at the Sydney Football Stadium.

- AAP