Parramatta beats North Queensland 32-16, Newcastle defeats the Bulldogs 22-16 and Cronulla beats Wests Tigers 50-20

Parramatta has kept the pressure up on the top four with a 32-16 win over North Queensland at Robina.

The Eels scored three first-half tires to take a 14-6 lead into the break, before making the game safe by the 60-minute mark with tries to Will Smith and Clint Gutherson.

The Cowboys scored two consolation tries but the Eels finished things off with a try to Dylan Brown to secure their 14th win of the season.

Earlier, the Knights got past the Bulldogs 22-16 and the Sharks downed Wests Tigers 50-20.

Sivo injury sours Eels' win over Cowboys

Parramatta got the win the team so desperately needed but not all the Eels' prayers were answered with Maika Sivo injured in their victory over North Queensland.

Desperately needing a victory before the finals after Brad Arthur admitted he'd been embarrassed, Parramatta was far from perfect against the struggling Cowboys.

But the Eels were good enough to snap their four-game losing streak, taking the lead early and never relinquishing it on the Gold Coast.

Mitch Moses enjoyed his best game since fracturing his back in State of Origin, as the half-back set up three tries and kicked superbly to force just as many repeat sets.

Clint Gutherson also bagged his first try in more than two months, with his four-pointer the highlight of the night after Moses put Haze Dunster away and he kicked back inside for the full-back.

But it wasn't all rosy for the Eels.

They completed just 70 per cent of their sets, making nine errors in the first half alone.

Nathan Brown was put on report for a crusher tackle on Reuben Cotter, with any charge set to rule him out for at least one match.

Hooker Joey Lussick was also picked up for dangerous contact, meaning the Eels risk taking another hit at dummy-half if he is suspended.

But Sivo is the biggest concern, with the star winger on crutches after his knee was twisted in a tackle.

The Eels fear he has suffered medial ligament damage, putting the rest of his season in serious doubt.

The only positive for the Eels ist that Blake Ferguson is approaching fitness again, and could be called in to replace Sivo after battling his own form and injury issues this year.

Sivo had earlier set up the Eels' first try, getting a ball back in to Waqa Blake to score after the centre had initially batted it onto him.

Moses then entered the fray, breaking down field to put Will Penisini over for his first NRL try before setting up Shaun Lane just before the break.

The half also bombed late for a Dylan Brown try, after Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow couldn't handle the high ball.

The win keeps the Eels' faint top-four hopes alive, but more importantly gives them a boost before games against Melbourne and Penrith to finish the season.

The Eels' problems however have nothing on the Cowboys' issues.

North Queensland have now lost 10 straight, just three games shy of the club's all-time worst streak.

They were in the game at 10-6 down when Heilum Luki ran onto a deft ball from Mitchell Dunn, but it slipped away from them just before and after half-time.​​​​​​

Knights' win gives them space in top eight

Newcastle has all but secured an NRL top eight spot despite a sloppy attacking display against last-placed Canterbury.

The Knights were pushed harder than expected, scoring four tries to three to overcome the Bulldogs at Robina.

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The Knights secured a fourth-straight win for the first time since 2019, defeating the Bulldogs 22-16 at Robina.

The victory puts seventh-placed Newcastle four points clear of the chasing pack in the race to the finals with just two games to play, all but ensuring Adam O'Brien's team will play in September for the second straight season.

Knowing the importance of a win, the Knights started brightly, opening the scoring in the 10th minute when Mitch Barnett's quick-thinking to flick back a Mitchell Pearce grubber in the in-goal area allowed Jacob Saifiti to dive on the ball.

A second try in the 26th minute to Enari Tuala threatened to turn the game into a stroll but the Knights wouldn't add to their score before the break.

In truth the margin should have been reduced but Corey Allan bombed a chance for the Bulldogs late in the half when he beat Kalyn Ponga to a Lachlan Lewis grubber but knocked on as he tried to ground the ball.

The Bulldogs did get on the scoreboard early in the second half however when Lewis's clever reverse kick caught out the Knights' defence and Nick Meaney easily gathered to score.

That wasn't the start of an unexpected comeback from Trent Barrett's team though with a quickfire double from Jake Clifford and Bradman Best blowing the Knights' lead out to 16 points.

On-loan Ryan James scored his first try for the Bulldogs before a brilliant effort by Jayden Okunbor off another Lewis kick put some gloss on the scoreboard for Canterbury, who have now lost nine consecutive matches.

As well as losing the game, the Bulldogs had to play the last 15 minutes without tireless captain Josh Jackson after he failed a head-injury assessment.

Englishman Luke Thompson, who had only just returned from a three-game suspension, was placed on report late in the match for a crusher tackle which may well end his season if charged by the judiciary.

Canterbury backrower Corey Waddell was also placed on report twice in the first half, the second time for a bizarre incident where he was caught by the bunker pulling on the headgear of Ponga.

Knights' centre Kurt Mann was placed on report for a crusher tackle in the dying seconds of the match.

The Knights can confirm their finals place with a win against Gold Coast next weekend while the Bulldogs face a daunting clash with high-flying Manly.

Sharks shred Tigers' hopes with 50-20 win

The top eight dream is still alive for Cronulla but the Wests Tigers' long finals wait looks set to continue after the Sharks' record 50-20 NRL win at Rockhampton.

Ronaldo Mulitalo scored two tries and set up another for the Sharks but his season may be over after a suspected broken jaw.

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Ronaldo Mulitalo, Sione Katoa, William Kennedy and Luke Metcalf all grabbed doubles as Cronulla (9-13 record) jumped from 10th into the top eight with two rounds left, snapping a three-game losing run.

However, it may have come at a huge cost with Mulitalo suffering a suspected broken jaw when he copped a stray elbow from Tigers try-scorer Tommy Talau in the 64th minute.

Mulitalo was in tears as he left the field clutching ice to his jaw.

He had earlier been all smiles after a first-half double and had a chance to score a hat-trick but unselfishly passed for impressive half Metcalf to cross in the 42nd minute.

The Tigers reeled in a 24-point deficit to trail 34-20 in the 65th minute with three tries in 10 minutes.

But Matt Moylan - playing his first game in eight weeks due to a calf injury - came off the bench to help spark a Sharks surge, scoring three tries in the final 10 minutes to ensure a blowout.

It was the most points Cronulla had scored against the Tigers and marked the first time they had reached a half-century since round 10, 2016.

Tigers mentor Michael Maguire came down from his coach's box to bark orders from the sideline in the second half.

But it wasn't enough to inspire the joint venture who appear to have missed out on the finals yet again after remaining in 13th spot (8-14 record).

The Tigers have not played finals since 2011.

In another concern, Tigers playmaker Adam Doueihi received treatment on his knee late in the match.

The Sharks bounced back on Saturday in the first NRL game played in Rockhampton after a traumatic week.

Sharks forward Andrew Fifita was placed in an induced coma in a Brisbane hospital this week and underwent throat surgery after copping a hit in their last round loss to Newcastle.

"Thankfully Andrew took a selfie of himself this morning from his hospital bed so that's a positive sign," interim Sharks coach Josh Hannay told Fox League on Saturday.

The Tigers were aiming for three straight wins for the first time since 2018 and looked on track when Michael Chee Kam scored in the fifth minute.

But Cronulla hit back to lead 16-4 at half-time and stood tall in a rollercoaster second stanza that featured nine tries.

The Sharks' Briton Nikora was placed on report for a 42nd-minute tackle.

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