NRL: Dragons choke, Cowboys survive

The Dragons were left stunned after their late collapse against the Bulldogs ended their season yesterday. Photo / Getty Images

St George Illawarra have blown their shot at qualifying for the NRL finals, finishing ninth on the ladder after they threw away a late lead to lose 26-20 to Canterbury.

The result means North Queensland sneak into the finals in eighth place, despite losing five of their last six games.

The Dragons appeared in control when Gareth Widdop slotted a penalty goal with 18 minutes remaining to lead 20-14 at ANZ Stadium.

But the game was back level five minutes later when Will Hopoate broke downfield and put Aiden Tolman over.

Hooker Michael Lichaa then put the Bulldogs in the lead when he ducked and weaved his way over the tryline in the 73rd minute to give Canterbury a lead they never surrendered.

The Dragons tried valiantly to hit back in the last seven minutes but an inability to make last passes stick sealed their fate.

Melbourne's Craig Bellamy has set the scene for a fiery opening week to the NRL finals by launching a grenade back at Parramatta coach Brad Arthur over tackling tactics.

Following the Storm's 32-6 final round demolition of Canberra, Bellamy turned his attention to their qualifying final opponents Parramatta.

Eels coach Arthur started the mind games, saying he hoped the referees would police the ruck and stop Melbourne slowing the ball with their wrestling techniques.

Bellamy said Arthur should look in his "own backyard" before pointing the finger at Melbourne.

"If he was having a go at us about defence and smothering, whatever he likes to call it, then I'll be talking to the referees boss about how they [Parramatta] just lay all over opposition attack inside their 20m zone. They just go to sleep there sometimes," Bellamy said.

"He wants to fire a few shots off at us well, we'll be firing a few shots back.

"I'm not quite sure how they get away with some of it, so again he should be looking at his own backyard before he looks at us."

Bellamy said he'd heard it all before, with North Queensland coach Paul Green making the same complaint before their finals clash in 2016.

"It's amazing. Every year it happens. Semifinal time, a coach comes out - it's the same song just a different singer," Bellamy said.

Manly will carry a near clean bill of health into the NRL finals series, after bench forward Addin Fonua-Blake was cleared of a leg injury.

Fonua-Blake limped from the field early in the Sea Eagles' 28-12 defeat of Penrith on Saturday night, sparking fears the powerful prop could miss the early stages of the finals series.

But coach Trent Barrett confirmed after the game that the 21-year-old should be fit for the elimination finals.

The news means Manly will enter this week's finals series with one of the healthiest squads.

Of their top 17, only Jorge Taufua has suffered a season-ending knee injury. Centre Brad Parker has also suffered a similar fate, after he came into the starting side last month.Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan is confident his team can make more NRL history by defending their NRL crown from outside the top four when the finals begin this week.

The Sharks will face North Queensland in an elimination final at Allianz Stadium after toppling Newcastle by eight points in a meaningless final-round clash yesterday.

No side has claimed back-to-back titles in a unified competition since Brisbane in 1992-93, while no team has lifted the trophy from fifth or lower in the NRL's history.

- AAP