Alex Johnston's game-ending finishes helped South Sydney escape with a come-from-behind 36-28 win against Canterbury on Sunday night.
The Torres Strait Islander's accelerating runs near the line delivered the game-breaker in the 74th minute and the game-sealer in the 76th minute after the Rabbitohs were six points behind heading into the final 10 minutes of the thriller.
Johnston has moved up to 19 tries - five more than the next best NRL scorer - from 16 appearances after crossing for the first of a game treble in the 34th minute amid a fluctuating tussle where the lead changed six times and was levelled another four.
The highlight reel of Indigenous talent on show amassed half of the night's 12 tries.
Wiradjuri man Braidon Burns was good enough to hold off two of his former clubmates to cross the line inside the opening eight minutes to put Canterbury back onto equal terms at Accor Stadium.
Souths looked to Yuin and Bundjalung man Cody Walker to regain the lead in the 17th minute, the five-eighth running onto a switched offload that was turned back inside.
Walker would later tangle with Kyle Flanagan during an off-the-ball incident that not only incited words between the two but both teams converging for a bust-up.
But the figure that grabbed the most attention was Latrell Mitchell, who roused fans on the back of stepping, barging and shoving four Bulldogs' defenders in a 40-metre sprint to score in the 60th minute.
The Birrbay and Wiradjuri man showed enough top form that could have earned the makeshift fullback another spot in this year's NSW State of Origin squad prior to withdrawing this month over match fitness incurred from a long-term injury.
"I told you that three jersey is mine," Mitchell said after the game.
"I just wanted to go out tonight to prove I'm here to play footy and enjoy that, and to keep ticking boxes for the South Sydney Rabbitohs."
Jesse Ramien's sporadic run of tries has continued, putting Cronulla on track towards a 26-12 victory away to North Queensland.
The Kamilaroi and Weilwan man boldly bustled his way over past Cowboys defenders in the third and 20th minutes to give the Sharks a 12-0 lead.
The performance on Friday night rounded off his fifth try in 90 minutes of game time.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow urgently dashed onto a Cowboys ball and through a gap to score his side's second try in the 38th minute and reduce the margin to 14-12.
But Wiradjuri man Nicho Hynes quashed any further comeback in the upset, ending the night with a flawless five goals from five shots.
Connor Watson's contribution to Sydney Roosters winning 54-28 against St George-Illawarra was igniting a try rout.
After two tries early in a quiet first half, the Kamilaroi man's line crossing within two minutes of the break instigated the first of seven Roosters tries in only 36 minutes.
Playing in front of his hometown crowd at Central Coast Stadium, Watson created his team's third from broken play after splitting gaps in the Dragons' defensive line.
After the Roosters had piled on four tries inside just a 14-minute period, Cody Ramsey attempted to wrestle back the ascendancy in the 63rd minute.
The Wiradjuri man intercepted an errant pass with his rivals on the attack and bolted more than 80 metres to the line to put down what would be the Dragons' final try on Saturday.
Jamal Fogarty's perfect record with the boot secured Canberra Raiders a 20-16 victory over an injury-riddled Melbourne Storm.
In a crucial encounter where both teams crossed the line three times, the Yugambeh man's accuracy proved the difference with three conversions and a first-half penalty.
But the four vital goals was cast aside early after a wild intercept pass cleared the way for Torres Strait Islander Sebastian Kris to run nearly 90 metres to register the opener for the Raiders in the ninth minute to stun Storm supporters in Melbourne.
Story by Andrew Mathieson
