Melbourne Storm consolidated their position at the top of Australia's National Rugby League when they scrambled to a 12-8 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Saturday night.
Missing injured playmaker Cooper Cronk, the Storm were trailing until the 73rd minute of the game in the NSW town of Gosford when stand-in halfback James Aubusson put teenage winger Israel Folau over with a kick ahead.
The Storm were down 8-0 at halftime and did not get on the scoreboard until the 59th minute when Matt King scored off another Aubusson kick. The southern Melbourne teams are now four points ahead of a resurgent Manly Sea Eagles outfit who thrashed the woeful Sydney Roosters 56-0 at Brookvale Oval in Sydney.
The Sea Eagles scored 40 points in the second half to snap a two game losing streak.
The North Queensland Cowboys stayed in third position after they beat the New Zealand Warriors 18-12 in northern Townsville. But the win may have come at a high cost for the Cowboys, who lost Queensland State of Origin star Johnathan Thurston with a hip injury. Defending champions the Brisbane Broncos stayed in the top eight with a thrilling 19-18 derby win over the Gold Coast Titans in Brisbane.
The Broncos leapfrogged the Titans on the premiership table when Australian and Queensland captain Darren Locker kicked a field-goal in sudden death extra time. However, both sides suffered injury concerns after the match. The Gold Coast's Scott Prince was taken to hospital for scans to his neck and collarbone following the match, while the Broncos could lose centre Justin Hodges for four to six weeks with a hamstring strain.
The Wests Tigers are in fourth spot following their 43-26 defeat of Penrith, while in other games St George Illawarra thrashed Canberra 58-16 and the Canterbury Bulldogs beat the Cronulla Sharks 14-12 to move into the top eight.