Scrumhalf Tim Ferrari raced 45m with two minutes remaining to steal the match from Wests and give Royals their 10th win of the season.

They sit six points clear at the top of the ladder and, with a bye next weekend, only disaster in the final regular-season game will prevent the Phillip-based club from claiming the minor premiership.

The second-placed Queanbeyan Whites would need to score bonus-point wins in their final two games and rely on Royals to lose to steal top spot.

Despite losing just one game this year, Royals captain Tim Cornforth said his side could not afford to be complacent leading into the finals.

''We really needed that win in a tight game before the finals and to help us pull away from the rest of the teams,'' Cornforth said.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times