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A stunning 24-point second half blitzkrieg has seen the Manly Sea-Eagles record an upset 30-12 victory over a lethargic Brisbane Broncos outfit on a sunny Mothers Day afternoon at Suncorp Stadium.

Fighting back from a 6-12 half-time deficit, it was three tries in eleven minutes to the hard running Manly side that broke the back of an out enthused Broncos, who were obviously struggling without the experience of veterans Darren Lockyer, Tonie Carroll and Justin Hodges.

Brisbane were their own worst enemies as they tries to bride the gap in the second half, with the determined Sea-Eagles defence repelling a number of promising Broncos attacking raids.


After both sides blew a few early scoring opportunities, it took a freakish bit of brilliance by Broncos winger Denan Kemp to open the scoring in the 12th minute.

Chasing though off a well weighted Karmichael Hunt chip kick, the spritely teenage flanker spectacularly regathered a horror bounce on his knees, to dive over and score inches inside the corner post, amidst the attentions of Manly winger David Williams.

Brisbane hooker Michael Ennis’ conversion attempt was woeful, leaving the home side with an early 4-0 advantage.

The Broncos made it two tries in as many minutes when Ennis dotted down off a precision Peter Wallace grubber, with the Broncos hooker this time making no mistakes with a much easier conversion attempt to make it 10-0 after just 14 minutes.

Manly hit back with a simple try against the run of play to winger Michael Robertson, the determined flanker climbing high above his opposite Reece Robinson to claim a swirling Jamie Lyon bomb and score under the posts.

Sea-Eagles half Matt Orford duly converted to make it 10-6 on the half hour.


A 39th minute penalty goal to Ennis completed the scoring for an entertaining first half, with Brisbane holding a far from confident 12-6 advantage at the break.

After firing a few warning shots straight after the resumption, the Sea-Eagles finally converted pressure into points when centre Steve Bell crashed over in the 48th minute, with Orford’s conversion locking the score up at 12-all.

The visitors helped themselves to back-to-back tries thanks to a determined run by lock Steve Menzies, with the veteran forward slicing through off a short ball from Orford to weave his way over for his 168th career try.

And the Manly second half point scoring juggernaut continued when prop Brent Kite charged through a yawning gap to score a simple try, with Orford’s fourth straight conversion pushing the visitor’s out to a deserved 24-12 lead after 58 minutes.

Prolific Sea-Eagles try scorer Brett Stewart wrapped up the match for the visitor’s when he won the scraps off an Orford cross field bomb, with yet another Orford conversion signalling game over at 30-12.

Manly Sea-Eagles 30
Tries: Michael Robertson, Steve Bell, Steve Menzies, Brent Kite, Brett Stewart
Goals: Matt Orford 6
Defeated
Brisbane Broncos 12

Tries: Denan Kemp, Michael Ennis
Goals: Michael Ennis 2

At Suncorp Stadium

Referee – Shayne Hayne
Crowd – 27,469
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Cowboys send Warriors packing

April 19th 2008 11:28
The North Queensland Cowboys returned to form in ruthless fashion, thrashing an error-ridden New Zealand Warriors outfit 48-20 in an exciting match at Dairy Farmers Stadium tonight.

It was a welcome return for spritely Cowboys fullback Matt Bowen after a season hampered by injury, scoring a hat-trick of tries in an effervescent display, but all the kudos will deservedly go to Cowboys skipper, Johnathan Thurston.

Despite being bed-ridden by a bout of flu for most of the week, the North Queensland number six produced a top notch display, orchestrating the majority of the home side’s nine tries and booting five conversions to keep an adoring crowd of 20,554 thoroughly entertained.

It was Bowen that opened the scoring in just the 7th minute, backing up a big break from Steve Southern and Aaron Payne, and showing a clean pair of heels as he scooted away for his side’s opening four-pointer.

Thurston’s conversion attempt skewed through the left-hand upright to provide the home side with a perfect 6-0 start.

Cowboy’s five-eighth Justin Smith made it back-to-back tries just minutes later off the back of a perfectly executed set play, with Thurston missing just his second goal of the season with his 12th minute conversion attempt.

The visitor’s hit back with their own try in the 17th minute through a simple try to Simon Mannering, with the versatile backrower claiming the dregs from a Grant Rovelli bomb.

Michael Witt continued his stellar season with the goal-kicking boot, converting from wide out to make it 10-6.

Hard working North Queensland backrower Southern was rewarded for a busy start to proceedings with a try off a precision Aaron Payne pass, with Thurston’s conversion pushing the home side out to a handy 16-6 lead after 23 minutes.

A penalty goal to Witt on the half hour closed the gap to eight for the visitor’s, with a simple converted try to the Warriors Ian Henderson just two minutes later making it 16-14 just minutes before the main break.

But Bowen’s second try on the half-time siren closed out an entertaining opening forty minutes, with Thurston’s third goal seeing the Cowboys hold a 22-14 advantage at the break.

The Cowboys started the second half playing some up-tempo football, and were rewarded when winger John Williams outleaped opposite Manu Vatuvei to extend the home side leads to 26-14.

And the match was all but wrapped up when Ben Harris crashed over for a 59th minute try, with Thurston’s brilliant sideline conversion signalling game over at 32-14.

Further tries to Ashley Graham, a second to Harris and Bowen’s third completed the home sides scoring for the night, with Warriors centre Jerome Ropati crossing for a consolation try late in the piece.

Both sides face stiff opposition next weekend, with the Cowboys playing host to the Melbourne Storm next Saturday night, whilst the Warriors take on the Gold Coast Titans at the Skilled Park graveyard.

North Queensland Cowboys 48
Tries: Matt Bowen 3, Ben Harris 2, Justin Smith, Steve Southern, John Williams, Ashley Graham
Goals: Johnathan Thurston 5
defeated
New Zealand Warriors 20

Tries: Simon Mannering, Ian Henderson, Jerome Ropati
Goals: Michael Witt 4

At Dairy Farmers Stadium

Referee – Jason Robinson
Crowd – 20,554
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Cowboys hold off determined Bulldogs

August 31st 2007 11:50
The North Queensland Cowboys withstood an explosive second half fight back by the Canterbury Bulldogs to register a 38-32 victory at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Friday night.

The Cowboys held a commanding 38-10 lead inside the closing twenty minutes, but it was four tries in 14 minutes to the Bulldogs that almost saw them snatch a remarkable victory.

North Queensland were always going to finish in third position regardless of the result, with the Bulldogs awaiting the rest of this weekends results to discover their final position inside the top eight.

After a fiery opening five minutes, it was Cowboys skipper Johnathan Thurston that opened the scoring with a sixth minute penalty goal for a Bulldogs ruck infringement.

The vision of Thurston extended the home sides lead in the 16th minute, with the crafty half charging down a short blindside and looping a three man cut out pass to winger Ty Williams to score.

Thurston’s sideline conversion pushed the home side out to an early 8-0 lead.

Williams was over for his second try just three minutes later, with quick hands putting the flashy winger over in the corner.

Canterbury finally got back into the match through some handy field position, and the visitors scored of their first foray through a barnstorming try to skipper Andrew Ryan.

Hazem El Masri easily converted to make it 14-6 after 26 minutes.

Successive penalties put the Bulldogs back on the attack, with a scintillating backline movement allowing centre Daryl Millard to cross unmarked.

El Masri failed to convert, leaving the score at 14-10 after 31 minutes.

A devastating Ray Cashmere charge just before the half time break extended the home sides lead, with elusive centre Ben Farrar making up for an earlier indiscretion by dotting down in the 39th minute.

Thurston’s fourth conversion of the night handed the Cowboys a 20-10 half-time lead.

A Justin Smith try in the 51st minute pushed the home side out to a 26-10 lead, with the Cowboys going even further ahead when they recorded back to back tries from the resulting kick off.

It was a breathtaking example of the up-tempo style of football the Cowboys have become renowned for, with North Queensland centre Ashley Graham bursting through some tiring Bulldogs defence and racing fifty metres before linking with Thurston to score in the corner.

Thurston’s seventh conversion of the night gave the Cowboys a commanding 38-10 lead.

The mood of the game changed however when Cowboys coach Graham Murray chose to rest chief playmaker Thurston, with the Bulldogs able to cross for converted tries to Willie Tonga, Luke Patten and Sonny Bill Williams to claw the scoreline back to 38-28 with 14 minutes remaining.

The scene was set for a grandstand finish when Patten crossed for his second of the night, but the home side held firm despite an avalanche of Bulldogs attack to secure a thrilling six point victory.

North QLD Cowboys 38
Tries: Ty Williams 2, Ben Farrar 2, Justin Smith, Johnathan Thurston
Goals: Johnathan Thurston 7

Canterbury Bulldogs 32
Tries: Andrew Ryan, Daryl Millard, Willie Tonga, Luke Patten 2, Sonny Bill Williams
Goals: Hazem El Masri 4

At Dairy Farmers Stadium

Referee – Shayne Hayne
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A hat trick of tries to North Queensland centre Ashley Graham has seen the Cowboys register a 30-26 golden point victory over a demoralised Penrith Panthers outfit at CUA Stadium on Monday night.

It was a thrilling finish to what was an entertaining game, with the Cowboys storming back from a 26-16 deficit inside the final seven minutes to send the match into extra time for the third time this weekend


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Cowboys gun down Warriors

July 7th 2007 11:38
The North Queensland Cowboys consolidated their top four position with a nail biting 18-12 victory over the New Zealand Warriors at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Saturday night.

Down 18-0 midway through the second half, the Warriors stormed home to post two quick converted tries, with the much maligned Cowboys defence holding on to record a thrilling three tries to two victory


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