SYDNEY (AP) Last year's finalists Brisbane and North Queensland continued to set the pace in Australia's National Rugby League with heavy wins in the weekend's eighth round.
Brisbane beat Souths 30-8 on Friday but paid a heavy price for the win, losing hooker Andrew McCullough to a serious knee injury and ending with two players - Joe Ofahengaue and Adam Blair - on report.
The win kept Brisbane atop the table with 14 points, two points clear of North Queensland who beat Parramatta 32-16 in a see-sawing game.
Cronulla has the chance to draw level with North Queensland when it plays Penrith on Sunday while Melbourne can also improve to 12 points when it hosts the New Zealand Warriors in one of three games played on Monday's ANZAC Day national holiday.
