Jem Nash reviews the final game of round 20 between the Dragons and Cowboys at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
MATCHDAY RESULTS
SCOREBOARD
St George Illawarra Dragons 8
Tries: Jack De Belin (27)
Goals: Zac Lomax (10 – pen, 29)
North Queensland Cowboys 34
Tries: Kyle Feldt (15), Scott Drinkwater (17, 70), Griffin Neame (55), Jeremiah Nanai (66, 74)
Goals: Valentine Holmes (19, 57, 68, 72, 75)
MATCH REPORT
Embed from Getty ImagesIt was a back-and-forth affair through the first 10 minutes, with both sides having attacking opportunities but neither team able to score, before Zac Lomax got the Dragons on the board in the 11th minute with a penalty goal.
The Cowboys got their first try 15 minutes in when Scott Drinkwater weaved his way through the line before offloading to Kyle Feldt in the corner. They then extended their lead just two minutes later as Jeremiah Nanai broke through some soft defence inside his own half to set up Drinkwater for his own four pointer under the posts to make the score 10-2.
The Dragons crossed for their first try after 27 minutes when Jack De Belin kicked through a grounded Ben Hunt offload and pounced on his own kick. Lomax converted to make it a two-point game, and it would remain that way through to half time.
The Cowboys dominated possession and field position to start the second half but were unable to extend their lead, until Griffin Neame crashed over under the posts off a neat Jason Taumalolo pass to make it 16-8 following Valentine Holmes’ conversion.
A Taumalolo line break set up a Nanai try in the 67th minute, stepping through a hole in the defensive line as the Cowboys made it 22-8 with just over 10 minutes remaining.
They were in again four minutes later for Drinkwater’s second when he finished off a break by Holmes to take their lead to 28-8.
Nanai increased the pain for the Dragons when he ran in almost untouched for his second try of the day, to give the Cowboys a 34-8 victory that puts them back in outright second.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS
Embed from Getty Images3 pts – Jeremiah Nanai (Cowboys), 2 pts – Scott Drinkwater (Cowboys), 1 pt – Tom Dearden (Cowboys)
Follow Nothing But League on Facebook.
