The men in black eventually prevailed 18-16 after holding out Hawks' desperate attempts to fight back in the frenzied dying stages, the last 10 minutes were electric, leaving Panthers' supporters over the moon and the two blues' vocally disappointed.

After 70 brutal minutes Panthers led 18-10 before a flying Matt Boss looked to have given his side every chance after winning the race to a deft Willie Heta grubber but, after some deliberation, referee Nick Lander disallowed the would-be try for offside.

The two blues had another chance with four to go when Alex Prout forced a repeat set and Panthers gave away back-to-back penalties on their own line and, while they couldn't find their way through in that passage they did with just 90 seconds to go.

Prout shimmied over from dummy-half and Duncan Young potted the easy conversion to make it 18-16, leaving about 50 seconds on the clock.

Panthers used up every second they could making their way back for the restart and Hawks would have just one tackle to try and snatch a miraculous victory from the jaws of defeat, it wasn't to be.

The kick-off looked to have bounced off Heta's knee and was regathered by speedster Corey Brown who found open space as Panthers' celebrations begun assuming it was a knock-on, which is exactly what Lander ruled it much to the ire of Hawks' crowd.

Panthers' celebrations having moved to the outright competition lead were big too, especially in light of the encounter being Jake Betts' 100^th game and Jack Siejka's 50^th.

Siejka was superb until he was unfortunately carried off in the 57^th minute with what looked like an ankle injury, while Betts celebrated in style. He scored Panthers' opening try, set up their third and was workhorse-like in the middle.

"It was a good way to celebrate the 100^th, but the try and that was just me being on the end of some good work from the rest of the guys, just pushing up with them," a jubilant Betts said before being tunneled off by his teammates.

"We can't take our foot off the gas now, we go to Lithgow next week and they look like they're playing some serious footy at the moment so we've still got a lot of work to do (to win the minor premiership).

"We're in a good spot though and that was a really good win."

Prout admitted Boss' disallowed try was a big moment in the game and said the loss was a disappointing one, but lamented his side's lack of discipline early as the biggest factor in the defeat.

"A few of those 50-50 calls didn't go our way but that's footy, that happens so you have to just get on with it and it was our discipline that probably made the biggest difference," he said.

"We gave away a lot of penalties and didn't have much ball (in the first half), we were just defending too much and it probably cost us in the end.

"I haven't heard the words 'minor premiership' once at training this year so that's not a concern really we'll just keep ticking along and wherever we finish, we finish.

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"Our heads are high though, it's a big positive we kept coming and got within two points because Panthers are a good side. They got on top of us in the middle and got a roll on, but there's positives for us to take from it."

Although Ethan McKellar was inspirational in the middle - his running battle with Panthers' prop Brent Seager was spectacular to watch - Hawks lost Sam Coyte and that put a big dent in their go-forward, although they still held Panthers out for the opening half hour.

Siejka was held up in the 16^th minute but until Betts spun over at the half-hour mark that was the only real scoring opportunity either side had in the opening stages.

The men in black used the momentum from that and a seven-tackle set after a Young long bomb from his own 30 went dead to cross again just four minutes later, Kevin Murray latching onto a stunning Noah Griffiths offload. He celebrated that with a sensational backflip, too.

Josh Rivett knocked both simple conversions over to give Panthers a 12-nil lead but an error in their own half gave Hawks a chance, which Heta took, Young's conversion cutting the gap to six at half-time.

The opening stages of the second half were scoreless too before Rakai Tuheke crashed over from a penalty in the 63^rd minute, running clean over Panthers hooker Nick Loader on his way to the line.

WATCH: Rakai Tuheke crashes over for Hawks in the 63^rd minute to draw closer to Panthers...

The gap remained at two after Young's shot was waved away, but despite Hawks clinging onto that momentum - they had much of the possession and position in the second half - Panthers hit back not long after.

Griffiths forced a repeat set with a neat grubber - the fourth time he'd done so in a strong kicking performance - and with an opportunistic offload Betts sent Loader over with 12 to go on the clock.

Rivett's third conversion pushed the gap to eight, at 18-10, before the incredible final period of the game.

"It was a big defensive effort in that second half, the guys keep turning up for each other and when we're doing that but not necessarily playing our best footy it's obviously a big thing," Betts said.

"It could've gone either way that one, I'd say we'll play Hawks again this year they're a good side, but it's nice to get that one after they beat us over at Wade Park."