Will Skelton barges over for a Sydney Stars try ©

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Sydney Stars 37-37 Canberra Vikings

Dumped Wallabies lock Will Skelton has made an eventful return to the National Rugby Championship, spending time in the sin bin, scoring a try and making several bullocking runs in Sydney Stars' 37-all draw with Canberra Vikings at Leichardt Oval in Sydney.

His start to the round five match was similar to Will Genia's Brisbane City debut a fortnight ago, when he was yellow carded within the first 15 minutes. But Skelton made up for his earlier indiscretion with a try that levelled scores at 29-all with 15 minutes to play.

After JP Smith crossed for the Vikings and Jesse Mogg converted from the sideline, the Vikings looked as though they would leave Leichardt with the four points. But a try on the siren under the posts to the Stars handed the cellar-dwellers their first points of the season.

NSW Country Eagles 16-37 Melbourne Rising

Melbourne Rising opened up a nine point gap on top of the ladder with a 37-16 win over the second placed NSW Country Eagles at Orange. It took 20 minutes for the competition leaders to open their account but three quick tries in the second quarter of the match opened up a 24-8 half-time lead.

An early second half try to Telusa Veainu - his seventh of the campaign - put the game to bed with 30 minutes to play, with the Eagles only adding one try, to Andrew Kellaway, in the final 40 minutes.

The Eagles' loss leaves them with a 3-2 record after they started with three successive wins. The opportunity to break away from Brisbane City on the NRC ladder - who have the bye this week - has been missed.

North Harbour Rays 32-29 Perth Spirit

North Harbour Rays leapfrogged Perth Spirit into seventh spot on the ladder with an enthralling 32-29 win at Brookvale Oval.

Bustling No. 8 Sam Ward bagged a hat-trick for the Rays, as they claimed their second win in as many weeks.

Queensland Country fullback Jamie-Jerry Taulagi scores the winning try © Sportography

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Queensland Country 24-13 Greater Sydney Rams

Queensland Country has registered their first win in the Rugby Championship by beating the Greater Sydney Rams 24-13 in Brisbane.

Queensland scrum-half Sam Grosso darted over from the base of a scrum in the third minute, but two yellow cards allowed the Rams to take a 13-8 lead into the break after tries to winger Jarome McKenzie and fullback Dane Chisholm.

It was Greater Sydney that suffered the yellow cards in the second half, and a penalty try from a scrum allowed Country to re-take the lead before some superb finishing saw fullback Jamie-Jerry Taulagi seal the victory in the 73rd minute.

The win lift's Queensland Country to sixth in the nine-team competition, while the Rams sit in fifth place.