The battle to reach the NRLW finals will go down to the last weekend of the regular season after Canberra thrashed North Queensland to keep their hopes alive.

The Raiders were never threatened against the Cowboys, piling on the first 26 points in their 34-12 win before their intensity waned late on.

In-form five-eighth Zahara Temara once again had her fingerprints all over the victory, scoring a try and assisting two others as she continues to push her Dally M Medal case.

The win keeps the Raiders fifth on the table, but their last-round clash with Gold Coast next weekend will have a place in the finals at stake.

Before the Titans play Parramatta in Sunday’s late game, they and the Raiders are level with third-placed Brisbane on 10 points. Two of those three sides will claim the remaining finals positions.

Canberra got the scoring under way through prop Sophie Holyman after she busted three tackles on her way to a try, before Temara skipped her way through a gaping hole and then converted for a 12-0 lead.

Shakiah Tungai scored another before bench hooker Emma Barnes capped the first-half onslaught via Temara, who gathered her own chip-and-chase and put her teammate through for 22-0.

Madison Bartlett, Monalisa Soliola and Kerehitina Matua crossed in the second half as Canberra piled on the points. 

Cowboys second-rower Tiana Raftstrand-Smith and hooker Emma Manzelmann picked up late points for their side.

Canberra No.1 Apii Nicholls continued her fantastic season with 148 metres and eight tackle busts, but it was a string of one-on-one defensive efforts at the back that impressed the most.

The only major negatives from the Raiders’ biggest win in their young history were a pair of serious-looking injuries.

English second-rower Hollie-Mae Dodd went down with a non-contact knee injury and was undergoing evaluation on her anterior cruciate ligament, while centre Mackenzie Wiki left the field with a leg complaint.

By Alex Mitchell in Canberra