Dragons score late try, stay in 1st in National Rugby League

SYDNEY (AP) A 50-meter try from St. George Illawarra fullback Matt Dufty with 10 minutes remaining gave the Dragons a 25-18 win over the Canberra Raiders and a two-point first-place lead in Australia's National Rugby League.

The match was level at 18-18 when Dufty scooted past four defenders for the winning try. Dragons captain Gareth Widdop sealed the match with a 77th-minute field goal.

In the other match Sunday, the Cronulla Sharks moved into fifth place with a 22-16 win over the Canterbury Bulldogs.

Manly beat the Melbourne Storm 24-4 for the Sea Eagles' first back-to-back wins of the season. The Storm played without suspended captain Cameron Smith.

Manly's Dylan Walker will be sidelined for six weeks after scans on Sunday confirmed he had sustained a fractured eye socket after being punched by the Storm's Curtis Scott. Scott was sent off and faces further sanction by the league.

A late Jamayne Isaako try clinched a 28-22 victory for Brisbane over the Sydney Roosters. With scores level at 22-22, Isaako set up to kick a field goal before weaving his way to the line for the try.

The New Zealand Warriors handed Parramatta its ninth loss in 11 matches, beating the Eels 24-14.

Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary returned after a seven-match layoff due to a knee injury to lead the Panthers to a 16-2 win over Wests Tigers.

Penrith's sixth win in eight matches moved the Panthers into second place, level with the Warriors but ahead on points differential. Both teams are two points behind the Dragons.

In other matches, Gold Coast beat Newcastle 33-26 and an 80th-minute Adam Reynolds penalty goal gave fourth-place South Sydney a 20-19 win over North Queensland.