NRL 2024: Raiders booed at home as Cowboys win 34-16 over Canberra, Reece Robson passes final Origin test

It was a night to forget for the dismal Raiders but a great confidence boosting win for the Cowboys, with a number of their Origin stars showing their class.

North Queensland’s season has had more ups and downs than a day at Disneyland but the Cowboys have moved within striking distance of the top eight with a comprehensive 34-16 win over the Raiders in Canberra.

Facing a Raiders side that dropped the ball over the line twice in the first seven minutes, Todd Payten’s team looked a totally different outfit to the one thrashed at home by 30 points last week at the hands of the Warriors.

They have strung together a pair of three-game win streaks and suffered through a five-match losing run but with two byes in the next four weeks straddling match-ups against Penrith and Manly, the Cowboys could be firmly ensconced in the top eight with eight rounds to play.

While there were six places separating them on the NRL ladder coming into the clash, both clubs had the same number of victories – seven – prior to tonight. The anomaly owing to the

Reece Robson might have done enough to retain his Blues jersey. Picture: NRL Imagery

Cowboys having three byes in hand, while the Raiders have already had the week off twice.

By the end of the match, it was clear which team appears to have better prospects of being around when the whips are cracking in September.

The Cowboys scored first via Kyle Feldt after Raiders Xavier Savage and Jordan Rapana both bobbled a kick just shy of the tryline. Helium Luki got their second four minutes later, Jeremiah Nanai the third five minutes after that.

Feldt scored his second try ten minutes before the break with the sort of acrobatic dive that the veteran winger has become synonymous with to see the visitors head to the sheds up 22-0, with the Raiders booed off the field by their home fans.

Canberra ended the match with more line breaks and tackle busts than the Cowboys. They missed less tackles too and despite winning the second stanza 16-12, it was too little, too late.

Peyton said he’d asked his side to focus on ball control and in the end, that ball security in the first half had proved the difference.

“Played with good control in that first half, we were 17 from 18 sets or something like that, just prior to half time, and because we held the ball, we had so much energy defensively and showed some real desperation, stopped a couple of tries, scored some nice points, and scoreboard pressure and flow of possession really worked in our favour,” he said.

The Cowboys’ mentor said his team’s bye next weekend had come at the perfect time.

“Yep, really important, given that, we’ve still got two games of Origin to get through as a club, then another couple of games and another bye. We’ve been on the road, 11 out of 17 games, including our trials.

“So the bye has come at a good time and the players minus the Origin boys will get chance to recharge and refresh and go again.”

Kyle Feldt scores a freakish try. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

Like their opposition tonight, Canberra have been up and down like a yoyo this season, punctuated by some courageous victories and some terrible losses. Tonight was their third straight home defeat.

Coach Ricky Stuart was particularly combative with media post match, suggesting ill-discipline cost his side, while questioning some inconsistent rulings around off-side play.

“It was the first thing I spoke about at half time. It was a lot easier playing in the second half, because we were so much better in the area of discipline. I’ve already spoken to the individual individuals in regards to the ill-discipline at half time and then after the game,” he said.

“But go and have a look for yourself, the three minute mark in that game, Danny Levi got penalised for off-side. Okay, do yourself a favour and have a look at that. It would have been half a foot, yep, so, by the rule book, it’s off-side, but then they get four, six again's on their goal line. I don’t know what constitutes a player to get in the bin.”

ORIGIN WATCH

Queensland’s Cowboys Holmes, Murray Taulagi, Tom Dearden, Reuben Cotter and Nanai all showed their class and appeared to get through the match unscathed, certain to be in Billy Slater’s squad for Origin two in Melbourne.

There was similar good news for Blues coach Michael Maguire with Reece Robson, who scored a great try in his 100th match for the Cowboys tonight, and Raider Hudson Young, both set to be available for selection.

Taulagi and Robson had both missed last week’s loss to the Warriors, failing to back up from Origin one.

Jeremiah Nanai celebrates a try. Picture: NRL Photos/Gregg Porteous

TRY SCORING MACHINE

Jeremiah Nanai scored his 11th try of the season when he pounced on a pinpoint Chad Townsend kick in the 18th minute to join Tommy Talau, Sunia Turuva, Jack Bostock and Maiko Sivo in a five-way log jam at the top of the try scorers list.

The 21-year-old Queensland and Australian backrower now has 35 tries in 54 career NRL games as he aims to be the first forward to finish the season with the most four pointers since the great Steve Menzies scored 22 for Manly in 1995.

Menzies ended his illustrious career with 180 tries from 349 matches, meaning Nanai is scoring at a faster rate than the Manly great.

Nanai’s teammate Val Holmes moved to the top of the point scorers list with a try and five goals taking his season tally to 134 points. It was Holmes’ 100th career try.

Originally published as NRL 2024: Raiders booed at home as Cowboys win 34-16 over Canberra, Reece Robson passes final Origin test