The battle for the NRL's minor premiership is set to go down to the wire after the Warriors downed South Sydney 45-26 to go top of the table.

With hooker Wayde Egan pulling all the strings at Stadium Australia, Andrew Webster's side joined Penrith and the Sydney Roosters on 38 points.

The Warriors (+295) needed to beat Souths by 19 points to move past the first-placed Panthers (+294) on points differential.

And they did just that with rookie five-eighth Luke Hanson's 80th-minute field goal getting the job done after the Bunnies nearly pulled off a spectacular second-half comeback.

The Roosters (+163) have a game in hand and will play Wests Tigers on Sunday.

Even if this was a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde performance from the Warriors, Webster's side, who lost winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to a shoulder injury, showed signs that could be a genuine contender to be back at Saturday's venue come grand final day.

Deploying fourth-choice No. 6 Hanson with Chanel Harris-Tavita, the Warriors hit the Rabbitohs with a sledgehammer in the first 20 minutes with tries to James Fisher-Harris, Leka Halasima and Mitch Barnett.

Jack Wighton and Alex Johnston hit back for the Bunnies before Harris-Tavita backed up a blistering Eddie Ieremia-Toeava break to put the Warriors back in the box seat.

Fullback Taine Tuaupiki converted Harris-Tavita's try and then added a penalty to give the Warriors a 26-8 halftime lead.

Watene-Zelezniak crashed in on the right straight after the break, before trudging off.

Souths' problems were only amplified by their struggles from the tee, with Jayden Sullivan missing both of his first-half efforts.

But the playmaker made no mistake with his next three as Johnston, Cody Walker and Tallis Duncan all crossed in a 12-minute onslaught.

The Bunnies were just six points behind with 20 minutes left, but tries for Jacob Laban and Alofiana Khan-Pereira moved the Warriors out of sight.

Leading by 18 heading into the final minute, Hanson showed a calmness by receiving an inside ball from Harris-Tavita and slotting a one pointer from 30m out.

The Warriors host Newcastle and Manly over the final two rounds, while Penrith face Canterbury and Wests Tigers.

The Roosters square off with the Dolphins and Souths to round of their regular season.

AAP

The Dragons go for a shift deep inside their own half, Atkinson throws a pass to nobody, Kiraz scoops it up and pops a pass to Burton for an easy try.

That's his second of the night, the edges are starting to fray for St George Illawarra. Crichton converts and it's a big lead now at 24-0.

Crichton loses the ball on the first tackle! Saints straight back on the attack.

Flanagan's kick is deflected and batted dead. Holmes gets over and looks certain to score but they hold him up.

Flanagan tries to hit Suli short but gets it wrong and Xerri intercepts it.

The Dragons might have one here - Holmes got into some space and fired it back inside, Galvin knocked it down, Stewart gathers it in and he's claiming it!

I don't know if it'll stand though - I think Stewart fumbles the ball as he slid towards the line and the Bunker agrees.

Bulldogs ball.

 Canterbury are on a roll now, Salmon made a strong bust and next play Galvin hits Preston short and he surges through some soft defence to score.

Crichton converts and it's 18-0 to the Bulldogs.

Flanagan gives away a penalty for a high tackle and the Bulldogs are on the attack.

They spread it right, Galvin holds the pass up nicely and Burton - whos' enjoyed a good couple of weeks at centre - brushes past Holmes easily to score.

Crichton smokes it over from touch and it's 12-0 Bulldogs.

Atkinson drops a bomb and the Bulldogs are on the attack and after more points.

Galvin drifts across the field and puts in a grubber but Suli cleans it up, then puts Feagai away, he's dragged down 70 metres later to flip field position!

But they can't crack them and Holmes gets wrapped up on the last.

A Canterbury error from Tracey puts Saints on the attack but the Bulldogs will challenge.

They'll get it as well - Flanagan knocked it on first. Dogs keep the ball as Sua comes back on the field.

Galvin puts in a really nice curling kick that totally catches Atkinson out of position and it's an easy try for Xerri! You'd have thought the Dogs had the extra man!

A good reward for the scramble defence they showed at the other end. Crichton converts and it's 6-0 Canterbury.

— reporting by AAP

Canberra have crushed the Bulldogs 48-4, and Wests Tigers needed a late field goal to hold off the fast-finishing Knights 27-26 in an NRLW nail-biter.

With three rounds to play, the Raiders (fourth) and Wests Tigers (third) are almost certain to qualify for this season's six-team finals format - a first for both clubs.

The pair will square off at Campbelltown Sports Stadium next Sunday in what is sure to be the match of the round.

The Raiders' demolition job at Belmore Sports Ground in Sydney on Saturday was built on the platform laid up the middle by their forwards, allowing star halves Zahara Temara and Krystal Blackwell to pull the strings.

Coming off back-to-back wins over premiers Brisbane and Newcastle, the Raiders were in control from the outset, with Simaima Taufa bulldozing her way over in the third minute, before unanswered tries to Mackenzie Wiki, Krystal Blackwell (two) and Isabella Waterman saw them go to the sheds up 28-0.

The second stanza began in the same way as the first, with Elise Simpson, Leianne Tufuga and Blackwell all crossing for the Raiders inside 10 minutes, extinguishing any hope of an unlikely Bulldogs comeback.

Blackwell's treble was the first in NRLW for Canberra.

The Bulldogs remain in eighth spot on the ladder and need to find some form fast to be any hope of making a debut finals appearance.

Earlier at Hunter Stadium in Newcastle, Wests Tigers overcame a stirring comeback from the Knights to get home 27-26 via a Raecene McGregor field goal two minutes from time.

It was the fourth consecutive win for the Tigers, who are warming nicely at the right end of the season.

The match began in a whirlwind, with Wests receiving the kick-off before strike back-rower Shaylee Bent split the defence to score from just the fourth play of the game, 44 seconds into proceedings.

Tries followed to Caitlin Turnbull, Harmony Crichton and Shaniece Monschau, before the Knights finally got on the board courtesy of Tenika Willison, and at the break the visitors led 20-6.

Losana Lutu stretched the advantage three minutes into the second term, but with the Knights enjoying some sustained ball, four-pointers resulted for Mercedez Taulelei-Siala, Sidney Taylor and Olivia Higgins, and the comeback was on.

When Kirra Dibb booted a simple penalty goal with three minutes remaining, scores were level.

Enter McGregor, who calmly slotted the game-winning field goal.

The veteran half, who only joined Craig Sandercock's side this year, contributed seven points to take her season tally to 65 and break the club's all-time NRLW points-scoring record previously held by Pauline Piliae-Rasabale.

Hanson nails a field goal as the fulltime siren sounds and that, temporarily, puts them on top of the ladder by a single for and against point!

A fitting end to a crazy game of footy.

The Rabbitohs make an error then give away a penalty for a shot clock violation.

Tuaupiki throws a really nice cut out pass to Ieremia-Toeava and he holds it up nicely for Khan-Perieria to get over in the corner.

That should just about do us. Tuaupiki from touch to put the Warriors up by three converted tries and keep his perfect record intact - do I even have to say it? He nails it!

Warriors lead 44-26.

Harris-Tavita puts up a bomb that skews a bit sideways and is allowed to bounce, it falls for the kicker who gets in the clear and finds Laban in support to score.

A lapse from Souths and the Warriors take advantage. Harris-Tavita's had a big game tonight and they needed him to given the injuries to Te Maire Martin and Luke Metcalf.

Tuaupiki to stay perfect....nails it from wide out, that's 7/7 for the fullback and it's 38-26 Warriors.