Arabic version: ووريرز يتصدر دوري NRL وبولدوجز يحافظ على آماله في النهائيات

According to ABC News, rookie Luke Hanson’s late field goal helped the Warriors beat South Sydney 45-26 and move to the top of the NRL ladder on points differential.

The Warriors joined Penrith and the Sydney Roosters on 38 points after their 19-point victory at Stadium Australia. Hanson, playing just his second NRL game, kicked a one-point goal from 30 metres in the final minute to lift the Warriors’ points differential to +295, one ahead of Penrith’s +294. The third-placed Roosters, on +163, have a game in hand and play Wests Tigers on Sunday.

Warriors coach Andrew Webster said his side had not specifically set out to kick a field goal, but knew every point would matter over the final rounds. The Warriors host Newcastle and Manly in their last two matches, while Penrith play Canterbury and Wests Tigers. South Sydney, meanwhile, missed the chance to secure a top-eight finish and must beat either Gold Coast or the Roosters in their final two fixtures to qualify for the finals.

Canterbury kept its own finals prospects alive with a 44-14 win over St George Illawarra, its highest score of the season. Matt Burton scored two tries after moving to right centre, while Lachlan Galvin set up two tries and scored one. Ninth-placed Canterbury’s clearest route to the top eight is to win its final two games, have North Queensland lose one and then pass the Cowboys on for-and-against.

Newcastle’s hopes of a home final suffered in a 44-24 loss to Manly after the Knights surrendered an 18-6 lead. Dom Young was sin-binned over a hip-drop tackle that left Sea Eagles player Tolu Koula with a syndesmosis injury. Koula will require scans, while Young could miss the opening week of finals if he receives a grade-three charge, with Newcastle having a last-round bye.