Inside the NRL

Jenna Brooks has the latest from the NRL as the race to the finals heats up, Josh Hodgson reaps more praise, and a St George Illawarra legend is forced to retire.

Hodgson praise

2016 has been a brilliant year for Josh Hodgson, with many believing he's in line to take out the Dally M award come season's end, but the England international was dealt a blow last week.

Hodgson had the option to put in an early guilty plea but instead pleaded no contest to a grade-one dangerous contact charge, which in turn leaves him with a clean slate heading into the finals.

As a result of the plea, the star hooker missed his first NRL game since joining Canberra, but the biggest blow was the loss of three Dally M Medal votes.

Raiders back-up hooker Kurt Baptiste has praised his team-mate for putting the team first. "It didn't come as any surprise.

"We need him come finals time and if he had those carryover points he only had to slip up once and he was gone, so it's a smart move and a great show for the team for Josh to do."

The race is on

Despite missing Hodgson, Canberra came from behind to beat Parramatta 28-18 and clinch an eighth win in a row.

The Raiders overcame an 18-4 deficit at half-time to confirm a top four finish for the first time since 2003, but coach Ricky Stuart has played down their achievement.

"I've got a very young playing group there," said Stuart. "We're going to go into a semi-finals series without a lot of experience. It's going to be difficult. It's going to be tough."

With just two rounds to go Melbourne remain top of the ladder after a 38-18 win over Manly. Rookie winger Suliasi Vunivalu scored four tries in 30 minutes to help his side to a seventh win in eight games.

Vunivalu has now scored 21 tries in just 16 games, which equals Israel Folau's club record in a rookie season.

"I wasn't thinking about [the record] going into this game," said Vunivalu. "If it's Izzy Folau's record, that's not my focus.

"My focus was to be part of the team and play hard for the boys and come out with a win."

Cronulla suffered a six-point loss to South Sydney on Monday, making their fight for the minor premiership a difficult task.

With just four points up for grabs they now trail the Storm by three, meaning they need to win next week's match against the Roosters and hope Melbourne lose to Brisbane, which would set up a  thrilling round 26 showdown to clinch the minor premiership.

Meanwhile Gold Coast beat Newcastle 26-6 on Saturday to move closer to a first finals appearance in six seasons, but it may have come at a cost.

Jarryd Hayne was forced from the pitch with a head injury with 15 minutes remaining. However Titans coach Neil Henry expects Hayne to be fit ahead of their season-defining match with Penrith on Saturday.

"He got a pretty decent knock," said Henry. "He was alright after the game but we couldn't let him back on."

The Cowboys snapped their three game losing streak with a 34-6 victory over the Warriors. The win keeps the premiers in the hunt for a top four finish, while the New Zealand outfit's finals aspirations have been dented by a second consecutive defeat.

Johnathan Thurston was back to his best with three try assists and two tackle busts. The star half-back hopes his team have turned a corner.

"There's a lot of positives to take out of that," said Thurston. "It's more like us."

Veteran retires

A chronic knee injury has forced St George Illawarra veteran Ben Creagh into early retirement. The former Kangaroo and New South Wales representative ends his career as the second-most capped played in the merged club's history.

The 31-year old has not played since he injured his knee against South Sydney in round three.

"It has been a hard decision to make with my heart willing me on to continue playing first-grade for this great club but deep down I know this is the right decision," said Creagh.

Creagh, who joined the Dragons in 2007, played 270 NRL games and was part of the side that won the premiership in 2010 under Wayne Bennett.