Then there were six as dramatic routs by the Roosters and Raiders dumped the Warriors and Eagles from the finals race in a thrilling start to the Telstra Premiership Finals Series. <br><br> The fifth-placed Warriors were the highest ranked "losers" to get an early exit from the knockout Week 1 Qualifying Finals round after the sixth-placed Roosters and seventh-placed Raiders upset their more fancied rivals in sensational fashion on Saturday night. The results continued the fairytale week for Sydney's Dally M winner Todd Carney and Canberra's new Dad Terry Campese. <br><br> Minor premiers the Dragons, who were clinical in their 28-0 disposal of Manly on Sunday, and the fourth-placed Titans, who overpowered the Warriors 28-16 on Friday, have earned a rest next weekend following their wins. But the second-placed Penrith Panthers and third-placed Wests Tigers will have to back up in the do-or-die Semi-Finals after their losses. <br><br> The Wests Tigers lost after dominating for the most part when an error in the last 30seconds of regular time saw the match tied up through a brilliant Braith Anasta field goal that sent the game into three periods of extra time. <br><br> The Carney-inspired Roosters won 19-15 in golden point after almost 100 minutes of play when Shaun Kenny-Dowall's 60m run following an intercept on a Liam Fulton pass sealed the golden point win in front a crowd of 33,315 at the Sydney football Stadium. <br><br> Just two hours later, the Panthers found themselves in an equally dramatic position in a nail-biting 24-22 loss, as the Campese-led Raiders recorded their ninth win in 10 games at Penrith's CUA Stadium. They became the first NRL side this year to win six straight matches; and the first Canberra team to win a finals match since 2000. <br><br> The Raiders and Roosters upsets saw the Warriors unceremoniously dumped from the Premiership race following their loss to the Titans. They join the eighth-placed injury and suspension-ravaged Eagles as the casualties of the first week of the final series. <br><br> The Dragons and Titans will have a break next week, while the Canberra Raiders take on the Wests Tigers and Sydney Roosters clash with the Penrith Panthers in the Week 2 Semi-final kockout round. <br><br> The Dragons will play the winner of the Raiders v Tigers Semi-final and the Titans will take on the the winner of Roosters v Panthers in the Week 3 Preliminary Finals. <br><br> The drama-filled Qualifying Finals, televised live on Channel 9, proved a ratings winner on Saturday night with the NRL winning the TV battle from the AFL Semi-Final between the Swans and Western Bulldogs and the Wallabies' Bledisloe Cup clash. <br><br> Tickets for the Week 2 Telstra Premiership Semi-Finals go on sale to Ticketed Club Members of the competing NRL clubs (for Week 2 only) tomorrow from 9am and to the general public from 9am on Tuesday. <br><br> Week 2 Semi-finals: <br><br> Dragons and Titans have week off, progressing to Week 3 Preliminary Finals. <br><br> 1st Semi-final, Friday, Sept 17 <br><br> 7.30pm Canberra stadium <br><br> Canberra Raiders v Wests Tigers <br><br> 2nd Semi-final, Saturday, Sept 18 <br><br> 7.30pm, Sydney Football Stadium <br><br> Sydney Roosters v Penrith Panthers <br><br> Week 3 Preliminary Finals: <br><br> 1st Preliminary Final, Friday, Sept 24 <br><br> Titans v winner of Roosters v Panthers <br><br> 2nd Preliminary Final, Saturday, Sept 25 <br><br> Dragons v winner of Raiders v Tigers
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