St George Illawarra Dragons have virtually ended hopes of an NZ Warriors home fixture, when the 2018 NRL post-season begins next week.
Heading into this weekend, the Warriors were part of an eight-team scramble for playoff positions, with the prospect of finishing anywhere between second and eighth.
They did their part on Friday, with a hard-fought 20-16 home result over Canberra Raiders to honour stalwart Simon Mannering's 300th appearance for the club.
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But by then, their hopes of a home final were already diminishing and subsequent results have all-but extinguished that possibility altogether.
Penrith Panthers' win over Melbourne Storm later on Friday put them above the Warriors and the Dragons have also sealed a higher finish, with their 24-14 win over the Newcastle Knights on Saturday.
Afterwards, the Warriors sat in seventh and needed to jump at least one spot on the ladder for a home game. For that to happen, two of the following needed to happen:
- Sydney Roosters would need to lose by more than 120 points to Parramatta Eels on Saturday night
- Cronulla Sharks would need to lose by 60 to Canterbury Bulldogs tomorrow
- Brisbane Broncos would need to lose or win by just one against Manly Sea Eagles
The first two scenarios are mathematically possible, but unrealistic.
On Saturday, the Dragons had to overcome an eight-point halftime deficit against a Knights side buoyed by a 24,662 crowd on their annual old boys' day.
Prop Jeremy Latimore started the comeback, when he dragged three defenders over in the 47th minute, before Nene Macdonald finished off a 70-metre break to reclaim the lead.
The result appeared to be sewn up, when Matt Dufty showed his set of wheels on a 90-metre dash to the line, although a late Ken Sio try set up a grandstand finish.
The Knights looked to have stolen the show, when Mitch Barnett picked up a bomb dropped by Dufty, but Jack Cogger was ruled to have knocked-on in the lead-up.
Dragons winger Jordan Pereira then sealed the win in the 79th minute, ending a horror run of six losses in eight games for coach Paul McGregor's side.
Dufty and Macdonald were easily the Dragons' best, combining for 423 metres and 16 takle busts between them to go with their two tries.
The loss for the Knights means they end the season with nine wins and a likely 11th-place finish, should Canterbury go down to Cronulla.
It also ends a run of three straight wooden spoon finishes.
Newshub/AAP
