Rugby League: Top four already lined up for playoffs

By PETER JESSUP AND NZPA

With four rounds still to go, the NRL's top four is all but decided - with the Roosters, Bulldogs, Broncos and Panthers holding home-ground advantage for week one of the playoffs.

Fourth-placed Penrith are on 28 points and that looks the likely cut-off for the top-eight teams, with the Canberra Raiders now in danger of missing a place after falling to Newcastle at the weekend.

Melbourne lost to the Dragons and that allows their victors to draw equal on 24 points, with the Dragons having the easiest run home of all teams.

And while the Knights and Raiders both retain hope of making the eight, they must win three of four remaining games and rely on other results going their way.

The Tigers and Cronulla could still get in with four wins and friendly results from others, but that's unlikely.

The biggest win and biggest embarrassment of the weekend was at Penrith, where the Panthers got back on track with a 13-try, 72-12 demolition of Manly, who scored first after a brawl sparked by an altercation between props Jason King and Joel Clinton, but could not then go on with it.

Amos Roberts got two tries, 10 goals and a club-record 28 points in Penrith's biggest win and Manly's biggest defeat in their 57-year history, eclipsing an 11-61 loss to Saints in their start-up year 1947.

Fullback Rhys Wesser got a hat-trick. Manly's Des Hasler said it was an embarrassment for the players, club and fans and he couldn't wait for the next match to rectify things after the Eagles competed for 20 minutes then turned tail.

The Knights needed a controversial late try to Anthony Quinn to snatch victory from the Raiders after making errors that kept the visiting team in the game at Newcastle.

The Raiders were 8-0 up early on and held an 8-4 halftime advantage.

Craig Hall and Kurt Gidley made crucial errors that gifted tries for Mark McLinden and Nathan Smith, negating their own scoring efforts.

In the 70th minute, Michael Ennis dropped the ball when passing to an unmarked Quinn but turned the fumble into a drop-kick, the winger slicing through to be first to the touchdown.

Referee Steve Lyons referred it to video ref Chris Ward who gave the points, opposing coaches Michael Hagan and Matthew Elliot having opposite views of the validity of the decision.

There was more bad news for Canberra, with prop Luke Davico suffering a pectoral injury that will rule him out for the season.

On Friday night, the Dragons confirmed their ability to compete in the finals with a 34-14 win over high-revving Melbourne.

Three tries in the middle of the second half sank the Storm, Reece Simmonds, Matt Cooper and Lincoln Withers getting over between the 60th and 69th minutes as the Dragons pack got on top.

Shaun Timmins made an unexpectedly early return from injury, slashed his head but performed well.

The Tigers were too strong for Souths yesterday winning 56-6, the Sharks beat the Roosters 26-12 and the Bulldogs overwhelmed North Queensland 36-16.

NRL points table and fixtures