Zahara Tamara has kept the Sydney Roosters' NRLW hopes alive by booting a 25-metre field goal to kick them to a 19-18 win over Parramatta.
In a crucial penultimate-round clash in Newcastle, the Roosters led 12-0 early before fighting off a Parramatta comeback to stay in finals contention.
Grand finalists in two of the competition's three previous seasons, defeat would have left Roosters needing a miracle to reach the top-four finals.
But instead their fate is still in their hands, sitting fifth on four points, but equal on wins with both Parramatta and Gold Coast.
It means a win over St George Illawarra next week will now likely be enough for the Roosters to make the top four, while Parramatta face top-ranked Brisbane.
It means all three final-round games will have a bearing on the play-off battle, with Gold Coast needing to beat Newcastle to have their best shot at qualifying.
And the Roosters largely have Temara to thank for staying in it.
In a see-saw battle, the Roosters were in complete control early when Brydie Parker and Mya Hill-Moana both crashed over in the first 12 minutes.
The Eels got it back to 12-6 at halftime, before halfback Maddie Studdon put on balls for both Christian Pio and Tiana Penitani to score as the Eels jumped out to a six-point advantage.
The pass to Pio hit the ground and looked as if it may have been forward, but the one to Penitani was a play of perfection as Studdon went short and hit the centre cutting back against the grain.
The Roosters returned fire via a Sarah Togatuki try, before a dramatic final 10 minutes for Temara.
She first blew an opportunity for a two-point lead with nine minutes to play when a penalty shot from 32 metres crashed into the left upright.
Parramatta continued to have the better opportunities with two missed field goals by Studdon, after having the majority of the ball after the break.
But with two minutes to play Tamara seized her moment, nailing just the second field goal in NRLW history and taking the battle for the finals to the last round.
"That's Z, she's cool and calm," coach John Strange said.
"Practised that at training, setting up for that and she nails that every time.
"For her the way her attitude is, that's just a training run for her. She doesn't feel pressure."
