Canberra have kept their slim NRL finals hopes alive with a comfortable 32-18 win over South Sydney at ANZ Stadium.

The win moved the Raiders to within four points of the eighth and ninth-placed St George Illawarra and Penrith, after the former were beaten by Newcastle on Saturday.

With games against Cronulla and Melbourne to come, the Raiders made easy work of the hapless Rabbitohs, who again lost captain Sam Burgess to a rib injury.

After they led 20-6 at halftime, the Raiders crossed twice in a 10-minute period as Souths were reduced to 12 men from an Angus Crichton professional foul to seal the win.

Without suspended players Jordan Rapana, Josh Papalii and Sia Soliola, the Raiders’ left edge of Joe Tapine, Blake Austin, Jarrod Croker and Nick Cotric tore the Rabbitohs to shreds.

Croker opened the scoring for the Raiders after Souths failed to complete each of their first four sets, before a Souths error from an Aidan Sezer kick allowed Tapine to score.

Tapine and Croker again combined before the break to put Cotric in for his 13th try of the season and strengthen his case for the NRL’s rookie-of-the-year award.

Forward Luke Bateman and replacement winger Michael Oldfield also each scored in the second half as the Raiders made the most of their numerical advantage.

The loss was Souths’ 13th of the season as they again lacked impetus in attack.

They scored each of their three tries from kicks – including one for Alex Johnston in the final minute following a Bryson Goodwin break – but completed at just 65 per cent.

Hooker Robbie Farah played just 30 minutes after he spent the entire first half on the bench, but Cody Walker looked more settled as five-eighth as he grubbered for himself to score the Rabbitohs’ only first-half try.