NRL 2016: North Queensland Cowboys bounce back with big win over Warriors

FIRST it was the Broncos. Now Queensland’s other premiership contender, the Cowboys, are back in business after a big win over the Warriors.

The Cowboys celebrate after scoring a try.

FIRST it was the Broncos. Now Queensland’s other premiership contender, the Cowboys, are back in business.

Any concerns over North Queensland’s hunger for historic back-to-back titles were dispelled as Jason Taumalolo inspired the Cowboys’ 34-6 hammering of the Warriors last night.

Champion co-captain Johnathan Thurston lashed the Cowboys for being tactically dumb in recent weeks but they found sufficient brain to overcome the Warriors’ brawn in Townsville.

The 28-point belting of the Warriors snapped a three-match losing streak, injecting fresh confidence into a Cowboys team that refuses to give up hope of a top-four finish.

Lachlan Coote celebrates with Ray Thompson after a try.

The premiers now face a blockbuster clash against Canterbury this Thursday night and they will officially leapfrog the Bulldogs into fourth with victory at Belmore Sports Ground.

Chief enforcer Matt Scott (back) was ruled out on match eve, but not even his absence mattered against a woeful Warriors side who self-destructed with their season on the line.

Five-eighth Michael Morgan took the heat off Thurston, setting up two tries for Kyle Feldt before scoring a 70th-minute solo try to bury the Warriors.

But Taumalolo and James Tamou were the energetic architects, storming for a combined 417 metres as the Cowboys’ forwards atoned for their recent disappointments in midfield.

“We needed a change in attitude and effort and we got that,” Cowboys coach Paul Green said.

“Losing can become a habit, so it’s good to get that win and get some confidence back.

“You only need to be a bit off and it’s enough to spread in other areas. But our bench was outstanding and so was Jason Taumalolo, he played 40 minutes in the first-half which is hard to do in the middle.”

Ray Thompson of the Cowboys scores a try.

This wasn’t the most ruthless Cowboys performance. There were some unforced errors and they lacked cohesion at times, but after three consecutive losses, the premiers took a positive step forward.

Like the resurgent Broncos, who recently endured a torrid mid-season slump, the Cowboys simply needed a win to build momentum again. The Warriors did their best to play the premiers back into form.

The Warriors looked dangerous ... for about five minutes. Their bright start quickly degenerated into sheer incompetence as the Cowboys tore the visitors apart on their left edge.

Jason Taumalolo after his try.

The Cowboys are an infinitely better team when Michael Morgan eases the strain on Thurston and the classy pivot stepped up last night to get the hosts rolling.

Morgan set up two tries inside the opening quarter, both for winger Kyle Feldt, and his late solo try underlined his importance as Thurston’s premiership-winning foil.

“We need to have more options in attack and Morgo did that,” Thurston said.

“It was good to get to get that feeling back, it’s a step in the right direction for us.”

Originally published as NRL 2016: North Queensland Cowboys bounce back with big win over Warriors