Despite missing 10 Origin stars, the Cowboys and the Panthers put together a match for the ages in this Golden Point exchange.
Result
North Queensland Cowboys 27
Tries: (5) Scott Drinkwater 13th, 88th; Tom Dearden 20th; Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 53rd; Kyle Feldt 62nd
Goals: (3) Chad Townsend 14th, 21st, 54th
One-Point Field Goal: (1) Chad Townsend 78th
Penrith Panthers 23
Tries: (4) Izack Tago 2nd, 24th; Jaeman Salmon 29th; Tom Jenkins 35th
Goals: (3) Jack Cogger 4th, 31st, 47th
One-Point Field Goal: (1) Jack Cogger 79th
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The Cowboys have pulled off a gutsy 27-23 Golden Point win over the Penrith Panthers in front of a vocal and enthusiastic home crowd as they fight to keep their season alive.
There was plenty of star power missing from both sides, with 10 players off on Origin duty, but that didn’t stop these sides from putting on a show in this see-sawing affair.
The Panthers hit the front early when centre Izack Tago latched onto a fumbled catch from his opposite centre to open their account for the evening.
The Cowboys would hit back 10 minutes later when a half break from Scott Drinkwater gave Tom Dearden room to move on the edges, with the electric six breaking the line and finding Drinkwater in support to score next to the uprights and level the scores.
The Cowboys would then take the lead when a line-break again down the left edge found Kyle Feldt in space – he kicked back inside for Dearden to score close to the uprights and give themselves a six point advantage.
The Panthers stemmed the flow of points against them as a scrum play saw the Cowboys stripped for numbers and Tago crossed for his second try of the game.
Salmon then made the most of their next chance, when he threw a dummy close and slipped through the line to return their lead, with Jack Cogger kicking the extras to make it a four-point game.
Salmon then turned provider, as a late switch down the short side gave the Panthers a number advantage, and they shifted the ball through the hands, finding rookie winger Tom Jenkins for his first try in the NRL to push the visitors out to an eight-point advantage heading into the break.
The pressure the Panthers applied in the latter stages of the first half continued into the second as they extended their lead to 10 points courtesy of a penalty shot from right in front.
The Cowboys refused to go away as their young second rower Kulikefu Finefeuiaki crashed his way through the line to give the home crowd some hope chasing a four-point deficit heading into the final 20 minutes.
Penrith’s four-point advantage would evaporate when a superb cut-out pass from Dearden found Zac Laybutt before his quick hands put Feldt over in the corner to level the scores with just 15 to play.
Both teams threatened to break the deadlock with field goal attempts, but ultimately it was the boot of the veteran halfback Chad Townsend that would hand the Cowboys a one-point lead.
The Cowboys’ fairytale didn’t end there – with Jack Cogger managing his own field goal with just seconds remaining to lock scores up at fulltime and send this thrilling contest into Golden Point.
A penalty on halfway gave Feldt the chance to be the hero for the home side, but his attempt went wide right to cap off the first period of Golden Point.
Drinkwater ended this thriller in emphatic fashion – when a scintillating run from the livewire fullback saw him leave three defenders grasping at air on the way to the try-line to seal an incredible home win.
This win was the Cowboys’ seventh of the season and keeps them within striking distance of the logjam of teams fighting for a top eight spot, while the Panthers will fall to second with the Broncos leapfrogging them due to the bye.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS
Embed from Getty Images3 – Scott Drinkwater (Cowboys)
2 – Tom Dearden (Cowboys)
1 – Dylan Edwards (Panthers)
