League: Weekend of upsets tightens up the race for playoffs

Another round of unpredictable results has compressed the NRL table further, with 11 of the 15 teams covered by an eight-point spread and the Warriors one of three sitting level on the edge of the playoff eight.

The Bulldogs continued their late revival, keeping the Sea Eagles scoreless in the second half to hand them their first defeat at Brookvale Oval this season 31-12.

The much-fancied Dragons were caned 32-24 by Wests Tigers, who had a 32-6 lead 10 minutes after halftime at Kogarah Oval then settled back to allow the home side to corner some respectability with late tries. And the "Knightmare" ended for Newcastle on Saturday night with Andrew Johns engineering a second-half blitz as they stunned the Panthers 28-24 at Penrith, their first win since September last season.

Manly led 12-10 at Brookvale at halftime yesterday, the Dogs turning on a late second-half spree after grinding the home team down. It began when the Eagles captain Michael Monaghan unwisely decided to offload near his own line. Dogs bench player Dallas McIlwain knocked the pass down, grabbed the ball and scored untouched.

Fullback Luke Patten finished it when he dived over under the posts right on 80 minutes but the closeness of the competition was signalled by the fact Braith Anasta was driven to slot a field goal mid-half.

At Kogarah Oval it took 20 minutes for either team to complete a set of six. The Dragons scored from their first through prop Ashton Sims who beat fullback Brett Hodgson.

Then Hodgson stepped out of dummy-half and delivered the ball to Robbie Farah, who scored at five minutes. Hodgson glided through some ordinary tackles to score at eight minutes.

Penalties and dropped ball followed during a period of staunch and at times niggly defence from both teams.

Wests prop Anthony Laffranchi barged over at 20 minutes, Kiwi five-eighth Benji Marshall scored just before the break and big wing Pat Richards scored twice in the first 10 minutes after it.

But that was their lot, the Dragons then working three tries in the last quarter but it was too little, too late.

For Newcastle it was 294 days between winning drinks, 13 losses this season and 23 of their last 27 games dropped prior to Saturday.

The Knights were down 14-0 at halftime but Johns' running and his passing game produced three of four tries in 18 minutes of one-way traffic early in the second. Prop Clint Newton sealed it for the visitors in the 76th minute and the Panthers stood hands on hips in goal wondering what had happened.

Newcastle still have 10 players on the sidelines through injury.

Coach Michael Hagan predicted more wins as those troops returned.

The judiciary commissioner is sure to study video of a tackle by Roosters centre Ryan Cross on Eels second rower Glenn Morrison after the latter complained of being eye-gouged during Sydney's 12-8 comeback win on Friday night.

Cross and Morrison clashed early in the game and were pulled apart. Later in the half Cross was on Morrison's back on the ground after making a tackle when his hand came into contact with Morrison's face, the Eels player grimacing and jumping up to tell a touch judge "eye gouge." No complaint was made to the referee then or after the game.

The Eels were superior throughout but could not score in the second half after leading 8-0 at the break. There were surprisingly few errors given the conditions and some flashes of brilliance, not least from Eels half Tim Smith. Cross had scored the Roosters' only try and when he got his second in the 64th minute, Craig Fitzgibbon converted to give the home side the lead. He extended that with a penalty.

The Raiders beat North Queensland 23-22 thanks to a 74th minute dropped goal from five-eighth Jason Smith in a game played in rain and murk at Canberra.

The visitors led 12-0 after 13 minutes and the Raiders looked on track for a sixth consecutive defeat. But Smith, who came back after three weeks off with a knee injury, steered them to victory with four unanswered second-half tries after they had trailed 22-12 at the break.

With Newcastle on the up, Souths may again be in line for the wooden spoon after they collapsed 48-6 in Melbourne.

Storm fullback Billy Slater sealed his State of Origin place with three slashing first-half tries as the home side took a 32-0 lead at the break.

They took the foot off the accelerator in the second 40, otherwise the score would have pushed records.