Rugby League: Canberra turn on the style to hold onto competition lead

SYDNEY - Canberra maintained their lead at the top of the National Rugby League table by thrashing Parramatta while Penrith continued their stretch of consecutive wins to eight with a golden point win over North Queensland.

The weekend's round also saw the New Zealand Warriors extract themselves from a losing slump and South Sydney record only their second win for the season.

Canberra proved far too strong for the Eels, winning on their home ground 50-14, with former Eel Brad Drew the star.

Drew had been axed from the starting line-up after some ordinary form but made his mark when he came on midway through the first half. He had a hand in most of the Raiders' nine tries.

Raiders coach Matthew Elliott said his team showed great composure early in the match to weather an initial Parramatta onslaught.

"Then when the blood was in the water we frenzied, which was great," he said. The "frenzy" involved some of the best tries seen this season.

Parramatta boss Denis Fitzgerald admitted the Eels could not now make the NRL finals, but reiterated his support for coach Brian Smith.

The Penrith Panthers made it eight straight with their 28-24 win over the North Queensland Cowboys, but they took until the last minute of extra time before Kiwi Joe Galuvao crashed over for a golden point try to seal the match for them.

The Cowboys looked to have pulled off an upset on their home ground, but with three seconds of normal time left, Panthers winger Luke Rooney crossed over to level the scores. Preston Campbell missed the conversion, sending the game into extra time. The win gave the Panthers two competition points to take them to 18, equal with Brisbane - and two behind the Raiders - but ranked third on the table because of points differential.

The Sydney Roosters are two points further adrift in fourth, their chance of further advancement denied by the Canterbury Bulldogs on Friday night. The Roosters were missing seven State of Origin players and it showed in their 28-18 loss.

The Warriors 23-6 win over the Sharks leaves them in fifth place, on 16 points along with the Newcastle Knights.

Cellar-dwellers South Sydney showed rare winning form, scoring five unanswered tries in the second half to beat Melbourne 41-14 at Aussie Stadium yesterday.

The Rabbitohs were unstoppable in the second spell, after being tied 14-all with Melbourne at the break.

Also yesterday, Manly scored two late tries to beat the Tigers 38-30 at Leichhardt Oval. Tries to hooker Chad Randall and second-rower Luke Williamson in the 72nd and 76th minutes respectively gave Manly their win, after the Tigers had led 30-26 at halftime.

- NZPA