Fergo dances into Blues contention

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Canberra Raiders ... Blake Ferguson celebrates scoring his try. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

Blake Ferguson had every reason to bust a move in the dressing room following the Raiders' shock win over Melbourne Storm.

4 Tries 4
Jesse Bromwich 16'	Blake Ferguson 10'
Billy Slater 34'	Blake Ferguson 40'
Justin O'Neill 58'	Jack Wighton 46'
Mahe Fonua 62'	Reece Robinson 53'
2 Conversions 4
Cameron Smith 17'	Blake Ferguson 12'
Cameron Smith 35'	Blake Ferguson 40'
	Blake Ferguson 48'
	Blake Ferguson 55'

The reformed centre starred against Melbourne, ending their unbeaten streak with a win at AAMI Park on Saturday night.

With live-wire centre Blake Ferguson leading the charge through two first half tries, the Raiders survived a late Storm revival for a well-deserved victory.

Ferguson hit the headlines early this season when he was banned for a match for drinking alcohol on the roof of his house with axed fullback Josh Dugan and missing a recovery session.

He then suffered a fractured cheekbone in the Raiders' round four clash against Newcastle with this match his second back.

Campese said his teammate had the skills to press his claims for an Origin berth up against Blues incumbent Michael Jennings.

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Watch the video at the top of the page to see Ferguson showing off his dance moves in the AAMI Park dressing room.

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"I think so," Campese said when asked whether Ferguson was putting his name forward for selection.

"The way he defended he was very strong and with the ball he was palming them off and scored a couple of tries as well.

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"I knew he was up for a big game, you could tell he wanted to go out there and play his best.

"Throughout the week he prepared the best I've seen he prepared and it showed on the football field."

Canberra coach David Furner said that Ferguson had come a long way.

"He's done a lot of hard work, although he's still got some to do.

"If he keeps creating opportunities where he can use his footwork and his fend and be nice and aggressive in defence then he's going to put his name forward."

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Video: Pollard drops three in a row

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Shocker ... Kieron Pollard drops three catches in a row off Mike Hussey. Source: Jewel Samad / AFP

West Indian Kieron Pollard has achieved a unique kind of hat-trick in the Indian Premier League off the batting of Michael Hussey.

Playing for the Mumbai Indians, Pollard pulled off the remarkable feat of dropping three catches from successive deliveries, all from Hussey's bat in his opening over as he teed off for the Chennai Super Kings.

It might be best not to think about what bowler Mitchell Johnson thought of Pollard's antics, as the West Indian managed to put two straightforward catches down after letting a tough initial effort spin off his fingertips while stationed at point.

His third failed attempt ended with him leaving the field after copping a nasty hit to the cheekbone.

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Watch Pollard's hat-trick of dropped catches in the video at the top of this page.

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The remarkable sequence of events had statisticians rushing to the record books to find a precedent, with none discovered so far.

Ultimately, Hussey failed to make full use of Pollard's generosity, scoring just 22.

And remarkable, Pollard returned to the field to help claim the prize wicket of Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni at long-off as his side ran out winners by 60 runs.

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Video: Jake right or Folau a must?

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Decision time ... Should Folau be selected for the Wallabies if he announces a return to the NRL? Source:AAP

Would you pick Israel Folau against the British and Irish Lions if he announces a return to rugby league before the start of the series?

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That's the big question in Australian rugby this week following the code-hopper's virtuoso performance in NSW Waratahs' 62-point hammering of Southern Kings and the comments made by Brumbies coach Jake White.

The South African spoke before and after Folau's scintillating effort in Port Elizabeth, choosing to standby his original comments that Folau shouldn't be picked for the Wallabies if he decides to return to the NRL in 2014.

He was, however, yet to watch Folau's man-of-the-match performance - an 80 minutes that yielded a try, two try-assists, 16 tacke busts, seven offloads, two linebreaks and three linebreak creates – when quizzed following the Brumbies' seven-point defeat to the Crusaders.

"For the record, all I'm saying is that it's a massive honour to play for any country in rugby union," White said when asked if he was standing by his "indictment on Australian rugby" comments.

"And at the end of the day, if asking a player to commit himself to the cause for longer, in terms of the fact he's got to show commitment to Australian rugby and the Wallabies, if that's too much then here's a boy who's saying play me at 10 or 12 or whatever you want me to do that I'm happy to play.

"It's a massive mindset difference than saying listen I'll help you out but I might not stay in rugby union – that's all I'm saying.

"Whether he's good enough, no one's questioning that. Whether he can play at the Wallabies, no one's questioning that.

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"I just think that it makes sense that any person who wants to play for his country should have the respect of the jumper to make sure there's a long term view of staying in the setup."

Folau was brilliant on Saturday night. From the moment he cut through the Kings' defence in the first minute to his clever offload for the game's final try, the hosts had no answer to his mixture of power, strength and skill.

His combination with fly half Bernard Foley gets better every week while wingers Peter Betham, Cam Crawford and Tom Kingston have quickly learned the value of running off the former Queensland Origin star's shoulder.

There still may be some chance White's words will carry little relevance after Folau admitted he was enjoying his time in rugby and would consider a second season.

"For me that's a good thing, I'm really enjoying what I'm doing at the moment," he said.

"And hopefully we can get something settled once we get back to Sydney … obviously there is a lot of interest from rugby league but right now I'm enjoying my rugby and taking each week as it comes."

Should the lure of a return to the NRL be too great than a decision on whether Folau lines up in the year's biggest Test series will be left to Robbie Deans and his fellow Wallabies selectors.

And needing a series victory to keep his job, you'd expect the New Zealand-born coach to pick him – on the strength of the weekend's action anyway.

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Sea Eagles break Kogarah hoodoo

Hoodoo over ... Daly Cherry-Evans wrestled the way game in Manly's favour. Source: Philip Hillyard / News Limited

A resilient Manly sealed their first away win over St George Illawarra in a decade on Monday night, but NSW could potentially be the real losers from the Kogarah Oval NRL match with injuries to Origin candidates Brett Stewart and Brett Morris.

4 Tries 4
Nathan Green 35'	Jamie Lyon 3'
Nathan Green 43'	David Williams 18'
Michael Weyman 47'	Matt Ballin 21'
Chase Stanley 63'	Jorge Taufua 69'
1 Conversions 4
Jamie Soward 48'	Jamie Lyon 4'
	Jamie Lyon 19'
	Jamie Lyon 22'
	Jamie Lyon 70'

The Sea Eagles were on the back foot for most of the game but somehow ground out a 24-18 win with Jorge Taufua grabbing the deciding try 10 minutes from time.

		W	L	D	B	PD	Pts
1	Storm	7	1	0	0	79	14
2	Rabbitohs	7	1	0	0	54	14
3	Roosters	6	2	0	0	126	12
4	Sea Eagles	6	2	0	0	83	12
5	Knights	5	3	0	0	66	10
6	Titans	4	4	0	0	15	8
7	Broncos	4	4	0	0	12	8
8	Cowboys	4	4	0	0	10	8
9	Raiders	4	4	0	0	-69	8
10	Bulldogs	3	5	0	0	-17	6
11	Sharks	3	5	0	0	-18	6
12	Dragons	3	5	0	0	-62	6
13	Panthers	2	6	0	0	-42	4
14	Warriors	2	6	0	0	-69	4
15	Eels	2	6	0	0	-72	4
16	Tigers	2	6	0	0	-96	4

Incumbent NSW fullback Stewart failed to come out for the second half after sustaining a hip injury on the final play of the first period.

Morris' problem is potentially more serious with the winger to undergo scans on Tuesday to determine the extent of the damage to his left knee.

The Test and Blues star went down clutching the side of his knee after being tackled into touch by David Williams and was immediately led from the field with Dragons officials remaining tight-lipped about the severity of the problem.

Manly laid the foundations for their victory with three tries in the opening 20 minutes scored by Jamie Lyon, Williams and Matt Ballin.

The Dragons were the masters of their own downfall with some sloppy play in possession early in the game, but dominated for long spells after a maiden try on the stroke of halftime from Nathan Green.

The hosts came charging out of the blocks after halftime with Green scoring his second try before Michael Weyman returned from his injury lay-off in style by powering over from close range.

A Chase Stanley four-pointer levelled the scores in the 64th minute but Jamie Soward missed the chance to take the lead with a horrible conversion attempt that sailed wide to the right of the posts.

Manly took full advantage of that reprieve and with one of their few forays into Dragons territory, Taufua, who was put on report for a shoulder charge on Jason Nightingale, finished brilliantly to steal the points in a game where they had only 40 per cent of possession.

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Likes and dislikes for round six

Skipper ... Julian de Stoop says Nick Riewoldt is close to career-best form.   Source: AAP

Fox Sports' AFL expert Julian de Stoop reviews round five in the AFL and discusses his likes and dislikes.

LIKES

Hawthorn

		P	W	D	L	%	Pts
1	Essendon	6	6	0	0	171.36	24
2	Geelong	6	6	0	0	119.72	24
3	Port Adelaide	6	5	0	1	136.95	20
4	Sydney	6	5	0	1	134.16	20
5	Hawthorn	6	5	0	1	129.00	20
6	Fremantle	6	4	0	2	111.62	16
7	Collingwood	6	4	0	2	98.69	16
8	Carlton	6	3	0	3	114.36	12
9	Richmond	6	3	0	3	101.74	12
10	West Coast	6	2	0	4	109.84	8
11	North Melbourne	6	2	0	4	101.86	8
12	Adelaide	6	2	0	4	97.06	8
13	Gold Coast	6	2	0	4	88.34	8
14	Brisbane	6	2	0	4	72.27	8
15	St Kilda	6	1	0	5	93.47	4
16	Bulldogs	6	1	0	5	72.76	4
17	Melbourne	6	1	0	5	56.07	4
18	Greater Western Sydney	6	0	0	6	64.39	0

Essendon and Geelong may have made perfect starts to the season but Hawthorn have also set themselves up for another big year with their opening six rounds.

No team has had a tougher start to the season than Hawthorn who play the remaining seven finalists from last year in the opening seven rounds. That streak comes to end when they face the Swans at the MCG on Saturday night in the grand final rematch.

There were some early question marks - mostly surrounding their leg speed - after they surrended a big lead to Geelong in round one. But since then the Hawks have won five straight despite long-term injuries to Matt Suckling, Ryan Schoenmakers and Cyril Rioli. Brad Sewell also missed three matches while Buddy Franklin hasn't hit his straps yet and for the first time in eight years, he's been held goalless in consecutive weeks.

As well as five straight wins, the biggest bonus for the Hawks has been the return to form of skipper Luke Hodge. A win over the Swans this week and the Hawks are right on track for another top two finish.

Nick Riewoldt

Scott Watters said last week "On The Couch" that Nick Riewoldt 'Hasn't got the credit he has deserved' for his performances in the past 12 months and it's hard to argue.

The Saints are going through a tough patch as Watters look to rebuild his list but he can't ask anymore of his skipper.

Riewoldt was again superb on Friday night against the Pies, finishing with four goals, 11 mark and 19 disposals.

At the end of 2011, Riewoldt was battling a knee problem and wasn't enjoying his football, but his response in the past 12 months just demonstrates what a champion he is.

Michael Hibberd

Jake Carlisle has won high praise this season but teammate and fellow defender Michael Hibberd is another who would be in All Australian contention after six rounds.

While many of his teammates struggled against the Giants, Hibberd was good from start to finish finishing with 29 disposals in a best on ground performance.

The boy from Frankston has a good balance between attack and defence. He reminds many Bomber fans of a young Bomber Thompson.

Jonathan Griffen and Michael Walters

Without Aaron Sandilands, Matthew Pavlich, Nat Fyfe and Stephen Hill the Dockers appeared ripe for the picking at Metricon Stadium on Saturday night but they brushed aside the Suns in impressive fashion.

Leading the way were two players who were in the football wilderness 12 months ago in Jonathan Griffen and Michael Walters.

Griffen was behind Sandilands, Kepler Bradley and Zac Clarke in the pecking order but has since flourished in the absence of Sandilands. Against the Suns he was also a threat up forward kicking three goals.

Walters was banished early by Ross Lyon due to behavioural issues early last year but he returned late in the year to give the football world a glimpse of what he is capable of.

He's taking his game to another level this year, kicked four against the Suns and is currently one of the most dangerous small forwards in the competition.

Corey Enright

Quite simply this man is a superstar and it was great to see him the get the recognition he deserves following another stellar performance in game 250.

You only had to see the reaction of his teammates and his coach when he kicked a goal in the final term to see how popular and how well-respected Enright is at the Cattery.

Chris Scott said post-game that Enright has been the best small defender of his generation and it's hard to argue. Gavin Wanganeen, Andrew McLeod and Chris Johnson were all brilliant too but no one has been more consistent than Enright.

Pick 47 in the 1999 National Draft, Enright is one of recruiting manager Stephen Wells' best selections and two best and fairests in premiership years is testimony to how important he has been to the Cats' success.

DISLIKES

Pushing In Marking Contests

Now this isn't being critical of the umpires, as the decisions against Pie Ben Reid on Anzac Day and Crow Scott Thompson at AAMI Stadium on Saturday for pushing in a marking contests were both correct to the letter of the law. The problem is the rule is wrong.

Within five metres, a push in the side or a slight push on the arm like Thompson did should be allowed. In both of these situations, the marking players showed better judgement in flight and more strength yet both have been penalised.

With hands in the back and chopping of the arms outlawed in recent seasons, there' s not much left for the players to do in a marking contest.

St Kilda's Veterans

Nick Riewoldt may be at the top of the game but not many of his senior teammates are following his lead.

Nick Dal Santo and Stephen Milne were challenged by Scott Watters ahead of the clash against Collingwood but both again struggled.

Dal Santo was held to just 16 disposals by Brent MacAffer while managed just one goal and went at just 40% efficiency from his 10 disposals.

The duo were dumped to the VFL by Ross Lyon back in 2008 and Watters won't be afraid to do the same.

Justin Koschitzke's time is also coming to a close and he is set for a spell on the sidelines for his stray elbow which collected Jamie Elliott. Lenny Hayes also injured his calf in the warm up which will see him miss a few weeks and Sam Fisher isn't playing with the same verve of recent seasons.

Richmond

There is no shame in losing to Geelong but the manner of the Tigers 44-point loss on Saturday night was disappointing.

The Tigers led by 19 points late in the second term but when the Cats went to another level, Richmond had no answer. In the following 48 minutes, the Cats outscored the Tigers by 56 points and it was a similar story against Collingwood a fortnight ago.

Richmond needs to learn how to halt the opposition's momentum and they face a crunch game against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium this weekend. A fourth consecutive loss will raise genuine question marks about the Tigers' ability to end their 12 year finals drought.

Queensland Footy

It was another disappointing weekend for the two teams from the sunshine state.

Many gave the Suns a huge chance against an undermanned Fremantle but instead Guy McKenna's men put in their most disappointing display of the season.

As for the Lions, the heat is on Michael Voss. His boys were blown away in the first term against Sydney and for the third time this season they were on the wrong end of a heavy defeat.

With a nightmare run to come starting with West Coast at the Gabba this week, their finals hopes appear over already and that means noises about the future of Voss will only get louder.

Jack Grimes

The Melbourne co-captain is cursed when it comes to injury.

Grimes is set to miss up to 10 weeks after breaking his collarbone in a clash with former Demon Brock McLean.

Since making his debut in 2008 Grimes has played just 59 of a possible 106 games and two years ago, the majority of his season was wiped out by a serious foot injury.

Let's hope this latest setback is his last for a while.

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Rumford goes back-to-back

China Open ... Brett Rumford scores back-to-back European Tour titles. Source: Mark Ralston / AAP

Australian golfer Brett Rumford has claimed his second European Tour title in just seven days, winning the China Open on Sunday.

The 35-year-old from Perth shot a brilliant closing four-under-par 68 to finish at 16-under and win by four strokes from Finland's Mikko Ilonen (71) at Binhai Lake GC in Tianjin.

The comfortable win was in stark contrast to his victory in last week's Ballantine's Championship in South Korea when he eagled the first play-off hole.

It was Rumford's fifth career win in his 15th season on the European tour.

Before last week he had played 121 tournaments over five years and 231 days since his previous win at the European Masters.

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Darling's five inspire Eagles

Party time ... Dean Cox celebrates with team mates in the Eagles' big win. Source: THERON KIRKMAN / AAP

West Coast forward Jack Darling booted five first-half goals and Nic Naitanui made a successful return from injury as the Eagles posted a 70-point victory over the Western Bulldogs in Sunday's AFL clash at Patersons Stadium.

Darling's first-half heroics set up the 21.11 (137) to 10.7 (67) win, while Naitanui was dominant in the ruck after coming on midway through the third quarter.

6.3 (39)	Q1	3.0 (18)
10.4 (64)	Q2	5.2 (32)
16.7 (103)	Q3	8.3 (51)
21.11 (137)	Q4	10.7 (67)

Jack Darling 5	Clay Smith 2
Dean Cox 4	Dylan Addison 1
Josh J. Kennedy 4	Adam Cooney 1
Mark LeCras 3	Liam Jones 1
Luke Shuey 2	Nick Lower 1
Josh Hill 1	Jackson Macrae 1
Chris Masten 1	Jake Stringer 1
Matt Priddis 1	Jason Tutt 1
	Mitchell Wallis 1

Former Magpie Sharrod Wellingham (26 possessions) was also impressive in his Eagles debut, while Josh Kennedy and Dean Cox finished with four goals each after Darling failed to add to his own tally in the second half.

Midfielder Luke Shuey also starred, but injured his ankle in the final quarter.

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The hype before the match surrounded the highly-anticipated return of Naitanui from his lingering groin injury.

		P	W	D	L	%	Pts
1	Essendon	6	6	0	0	171.36	24
2	Geelong	6	6	0	0	119.72	24
3	Port Adelaide	6	5	0	1	136.95	20
4	Sydney	6	5	0	1	134.16	20
5	Hawthorn	6	5	0	1	129.00	20
6	Fremantle	6	4	0	2	111.62	16
7	Collingwood	6	4	0	2	98.69	16
8	Carlton	6	3	0	3	114.36	12
9	Richmond	6	3	0	3	101.74	12
10	West Coast	6	2	0	4	109.84	8
11	North Melbourne	6	2	0	4	101.86	8
12	Adelaide	6	2	0	4	97.06	8
13	Gold Coast	6	2	0	4	88.34	8
14	Brisbane	6	2	0	4	72.27	8
15	St Kilda	6	1	0	5	93.47	4
16	Bulldogs	6	1	0	5	72.76	4
17	Melbourne	6	1	0	5	56.07	4
18	Greater Western Sydney	6	0	0	6	64.39	0

But fans had to wait until 14 minutes into the third quarter before Naitanui took off the sub's vest and made his way onto the field.

The 23-year-old only tallied five possessions for the match, but he was influential in the ruck with 17 hit-outs as West Coast powered to their second win of the season.

The victory lifted West Coast up to equal 10th on the table, while the Bulldogs' fifth loss on the trot left them mired near the foot of the table.

Adam Cooney, Clay Smith, ruckman Will Minson and Matthew Boyd battled valiantly for the Bulldogs, while Mark Austin managed to keep Darling goalless after half-time.

West Coast entered the match having kicked 17.42 in losses to Carlton and Port Adelaide over the previous fortnight.

But they showed no signs of nerves in front of goals during the first quarter, with Cox converting a beautiful set shot from the boundary, Shuey nailing a tricky set shot and Chris Masten kicking truly from outside 50m.

West Coast coach John Worsfold hopes vice-captain Beau Waters, who was a late withdrawal against the Bulldogs due to a tight adductor, will return next week, while midfielder Luke Shuey will be further assessed after experiencing cramping in his calf.

Worsfold was pleased with Naitanui's return, and said the 201cm ruckman was a chance to play a full game against Brisbane next week if he was used solely as a forward.

And after booting a combined 17.42 in losses to Carlton and Port Adelaide over the previous fortnight, the Eagles finally rediscovered their mojo in front of goal.

"I can't tell you what we did. I can't release my secrets,'' Worsfold said of the new-found accuracy.

"Confidence is a big thing. Mindset and technique is a big thing in goal kicking as well.''

The struggling Bulldogs looked out of their depth from the outset, despite gutsy efforts from ruckman Will Minson, emerging midfielder Clay Smith, and veterans Matthew Boyd and Adam Cooney.

Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney was understandably disappointed with the performance.

"The best West Coast team is probably a top 4-6 team,'' McCartney said.

"They've probably been a bit stop and start for a few weeks. Today they sensed a kill and went after it.''

The Bulldogs were racking up big numbers in the midfield, but West Coast were dominating play at either end of the ground.

Darren Glass, Eric Mackenzie, Shannon Hurn and Mitch Brown were relentless in defence, while Darling exploded in attack, with opponents Tom Young and Dale Morris unable to halt his influence.

The Bulldogs did have one memorable highlight for the half, with Jake Stringer dribbling home a beautiful goal from the boundary line.

Darling's dominance was halted by Austin after half-time, but the Eagles' charge continued, with Cox, Kennedy and Mark LeCras prolific.

Click here to see all of the stats and scores in the FOX FOOTY Match Centre.

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Noddy's Weekend Wash Up: Rd 8

Rampaging ... Kasiano made a welcome return to the Bulldogs line-up. Source: AAP

In his weekly column, Fox Sports expert and Canberra assistant coach Brett Kimmorley offers his thoughts on round eight of the 2013 NRL Premiership season.

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Brisbane Broncos v South Sydney Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium

South Sydney provided the perfect example of how you back up a big win. Having beaten Manly last week in a physical match, the Rabbitohs produced yet another intense, gutsy performance. Greg Inglis and Sam Burgess starred while John Sutton continues to bring consistency to the team. They are the real deal this season. A lot of people expected Brisbane to suffer when Justin Hodges was ruled out pre-game but I thought they showed enormous character. Over the last month Matt Gillett and Corey Parker have really stood up for the Broncos and as a whole the team will be disappointed in this result.

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Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Wests Tigers at ANZ Stadium

Canterbury are starting to hit form with Sam Kasiano and James Graham making a timely return. Granted, Wests Tigers were extremely poor but the Bulldogs really made an impression on me. As the plays unfolded, the Bulldogs brought finesse to their attack and the points followed. Trent Hodkinson has been injury plagued for the past two years but returning to the form which found him playing for City Origin. He is very footy smart and a genuine ball player. He steers the team around very well. The Tigers tried hard but with so many personnel changes to the team, they were always facing an uphill battle. They just have to hope they can get some players back and find a win.

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Melbourne Storm v Canberra Raiders at AAMI Park

I'm not sure why Canberra seems to perform against Melbourne but they certainly brought their A-game on Saturday. Blake Ferguson was damaging on the right edge while having Terry Campese starting in the side added the ingredient they may have been missing in previous weeks. The Raiders lost Tom Learoyd-Lahrs early while Glen Buttriss played the first half with a dislocated finger. The Storm scored two quick tries off the back of some poor kicks by the Raiders and looked like they were ready to finish strongly. But a poor kick by Gareth Widdop from the scrum with one minute and 30 seconds left on the clock gave the Raiders an unexpected win.

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Parramatta Eels v North Queensland Cowboys at Parramatta Stadium

It was an emotional week for North Queensland who looked flat coming into the match. In the end some class from Johnathan Thurston was the difference and the Cowboys were able to secure an ugly win. Neil Henry will be pleased that while it hasn't been pretty the past two weeks, his team keeps climbing up the ladder. Parramatta improved on their loss to Penrith, led by Jarryd Hayne who had a lot more involvement and guided the team well. The Eels showed they were willing to fight and Ricky Stuart will be proud of the effort. It was certainly a character-building performance.

Warriors v Gold Coast Titans at Mt Smart Stadium

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The Warriors have had some unlucky results lately and I believe their form is much better than what is showing on the ladder. Shaun Johnson steered his side around with class while the physical forward pack ripped into the Titans. Having conceded a number of games at the death last season, you couldn't help but feel a touch of déjà vu until the field goal sealed the victory. John Cartwright will be disappointed as he knows his team can play better than they did. For most of the year they had been very consistent with their forwards making a lot of metres and their halves working off the back of that.

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Newcastle Knights v Cronulla Sharks at Hunter Stadium

When Newcastle play Wayne Bennett's style of football, which is high completion, field position and defence, they are very good. Poor discipline let Cronulla back into the game and they played very smart. They were extremely tough which sounds funny when you take into account that they lost Paul Gallen. They challenged the Knights with a lot of direct running and were well supported by Michael Gordon while Luke Lewis was devastating in everything he did. A golden-point clash which was tainted by so many missed shots but Jeff Robson nailed the kick and a good result for a man who doesn't receive many accolades.

Sydney Roosters v Penrith Panthers at Allianz Stadium

Michael Jennings was brilliant against his old club, producing a performance that many Penrith fans will be wondering where that form was during his time as a Panther. James Maloney did his representative prospects no harm with another solid performance. His goal kicking - something NSW will need come Origin time - and combination with Mitchell Pearce are helping his representative claims. The Roosters continue to show us why they are genuine contenders in the competition with athleticism and strike power across the field. Penrith produced a gutsy performance last week and would have liked their chances 10-6 down at half-time. Having debuted last week, Matt Moylan had another great game. I think Penrith have found their long-term fullback.

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Hawthorn edge past Adelaide

Character ... Bradley Hill celebrates a goal during Hawthorn's important win over the Crows. Source: REGI VARGHESE / AAP

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson hailed a gritty 11-point away win against Adelaide as proof his side can prevail without the influence of megastar Lance Franklin.

1.4 (10)	Q1	5.2 (32)
5.9 (39)	Q2	6.5 (41)
8.9 (57)	Q3	9.8 (62)
11.12 (78)	Q4	13.11 (89)

Patrick Dangerfield 2	Jack Gunston 3
Josh Jenkins 2	Luke Breust 2
Sam Kerridge 2	Bradley Hill 2
Scott Thompson 2	Luke Hodge 1
Richard Douglas 1	Jordan Lewis 1
Sam Jacobs 1	Michael Osborne 1
Bernie Vince 1	Paul Puopolo 1
	Jarryd Roughead 1
	Isaac Smith 1

Franklin was held goalless for consecutive matches, but the Hawks still emerged with a gutsy 13.11 (89) to 11.12 (78) victory on Saturday.

It's only the second time in Franklin's career that he has failed to kick a goal in successive games - the last time was in games six and seven of his now-167 match career.

Franklin was blanketed on Saturday by Crow backman Daniel Talia, a fact which perversely pleased coach Clarkson.

"We're pleased in a sense that we have been able to win a couple of close games without him contributing,'' Clarkson said of his superstar forward.

"We would obviously like him to be playing a little bit better but he's been such a formidable contributor for us in our front half for such a long period of time, for him to have up and down days isn't such a bad thing for either him or us.''

Clarkson's Hawks jumped the Crows and held a five-goal lead by early in the second quarter at AAMI Stadium.

But Adelaide, propelled by Patrick Dangerfield's brilliant two-goal 35-disposal performance, hit back to take a one-point advantage some two minutes into the last term.

The Hawks responded as flag fancies would: booting four rapid goals to bank a fifth consecutive win ahead of their grand final re-match against Sydney at the MCG next Saturday night.

"They are tough to beat in Adelaide ... to win in those circumstances, no matter what the margin is, is an outstanding result for our club,'' Clarkson said.

"We have had a really tough start so we are pleased to be winning these games.''

The Hawks were inspired by their captain Luke Hodge, who collected 29 disposals and launched his side inside their attacking 50m arc seven times.

His predecessor Sam Mitchell (29 possessions) was instrumental across half-back and in the midfield in the last quarter, while ex-Crow Jack Gunston kicked three goals to help cover for the ineffectual Franklin.

Adelaide's tenacity earnt praise from their coach Brenton Sanderson but the Crows slumped to a precarious 2-4 win-loss record.

"We're coming from a long way back,'' Sanderson said of Adelaide's finals hopes.

"But that is fine. These boys, they won't be shying away from any future challenges.

"We certainly won't roll over and die, not this footy club, not these young boys, they're full of fight.''

The Hawks take on Sydney Swans next weekend, but luckless Hawk ruckman Max Bailey is in doubt for the clash, having been a late withdrawal against the Crows.

Clarkson said Bailey, who has overcome three knee reconstructions, was suffering swelling in a knee.

Midfielder Jordan Lewis said that playing the team that beat them in last year's grand final shouldn't drive Hawthorn this week.

"We have got to motivate ourselves every week, whether it be the side we lost to in the grand final or not,'' Lewis said.

"Every week is different and we will set little goals this week.

"I don't think last year's grand final will come into our calculations at all.''

Click here to see all of the stats and scores in the FOX FOOTY Match Centre.

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Ferguson stars in Storm upset

Canberra Raiders ... Blake Ferguson celebrates scoring his try. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

Melbourne Storm's unbeaten run has come to a crashing halt with Canberra upsetting the NRL champions 24-20 at AAMI Park.

4 Tries 4
Jesse Bromwich 16'	Blake Ferguson 10'
Billy Slater 34'	Blake Ferguson 40'
Justin O'Neill 58'	Jack Wighton 46'
Mahe Fonua 62'	Reece Robinson 53'
2 Conversions 4
Cameron Smith 17'	Blake Ferguson 12'
Cameron Smith 35'	Blake Ferguson 40'
	Blake Ferguson 48'
	Blake Ferguson 55'

With live-wire centre Blake Ferguson leading the charge through two first half tries, the Raiders survived a late Storm revival for a well-deserved victory.

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The loss ended the Storm's winning streak at 15 straight and continued the Raiders' superb recent record at AAMI Park.

Canberra joined the Bulldogs as the only sides to have ever won three times in succession at the Storm's fortress.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy said their "luck" had run out.

"They were a lot more committed and determined than us," Bellamy said of Canberra, who have now won their past three in succession at the Storm's fortress.

"This has been coming; our past three home games have been like this and we've only really started playing when we've got into trouble.

"We were probably a little bit lucky against the Tigers and the Warriors and perhaps our luck ran out."

Ferguson scored all of the his side's 12 first half points before centre Jack Wighton and electric fullback Reece Robinson chimed in to open up a 24-12 lead.

The Storm hit back when halfback Cooper Cronk put a flat kick across field that Mahe Fonua fed back to Justin O'Neill, with the centre managing to get the ball across the line in the 58th minute.

It was one of only a few bright notes for O'Neill and Fonua, with the Storm's right flank repeatedly exposed.

Ferguson and fellow speedster Edrick Lee were a constant danger, with the winger unlucky not to score in the first half when video referees over-ruled an on-field call.

Fonua also got in on the action four minutes later when Ryan Hoffman batted another Cronk kick back in-field for the winger to touch down.

That closed the gap to four-points but despite the best efforts of Cronk, the Storm weren't able to find the try they desperately needed.

While Ferguson starred in the first half for the visitors, Jesse Bromwich and Billy Slater were the tryscorers for the Storm with the teams locked at 12-12 at halftime.

Wighton pushed aside some flimsy defence from his opposite Will Chambers, and then Robinson made a 70 metre dash to touch down and extend the lead to 12 points.

The Storm were never out of it but their attack lacked its usual precision and their defence was uncharacteristically poor as the Raiders celebrated their fourth win of the season.

The effort was all the more special with Canberra missing a swag of injured regulars and then losing forwards Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (foot) and Joe Picker (concussion) early in the match while hooker Glen Buttriss played with a fractured finger.

Picker returned late in the game when they were out on their feet.

"It was definitely up there with one of the best I've been involved with," Campese said.

"We've got to learn now that we can match it with the best sides.

"We just knocked Melbourne off their perch and we've got to take confidence from that."

Learoyd-Lahrs will undergo further testing on nerve damage in his foot, which coach David Furner described as "drop foot".

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