The Brisbane Broncos have emphasised their deserved place in the top two of the NRLW with a stunning 50-4 win over the Cowboys at Langlands Park in Brisbane.

In a match-up of second versus third on the ladder, there was only one team in the contest, as the Broncos opened the scoring in the eighth minute, and did not relent until the 68th minute, as they laid on a nine-try performance.

Skipper Tamika Upton starred with a hat-trick of tries, including two in the first half.

Upton extended her lead as the competition’s top try scorer, with 18 for the season.

Brisbane led 30-0 at the break, and went on with the job in the second half, scoring another four tries to extend the margin.

The Cowboys’ only joy for the game came when centre Jasmine Peters went over in the 61st minute. 

In the other game of the day, Gold Coast Titans secured the sixth and last finals spot, at the expense of Parramatta.

Lauren Brown’s extra time field goal gave the Titans a thrilling 17-16 victory over the Raiders, to lift them over the Eels into sixth spot.

The Titans had trailed 16-8 at half-time after the Raiders scored three first-half tries.

But five-eighth Talia Fuimaono scored in the 67th minute to level the scores, before Brown nailed the field goal.