Wests Tigers week has gone from bad to worse with a 64-6 demolition by North Queensland

WESTS Tigers’ week has gone from bad to worse, suffering a humiliating 64-6 demolition by North Queensland in Townsville.

The Cowboys Matthew Wright bagged a hat-trick within 15 minutes.

IT Has taken 743 days, but the North Queensland Cowboys have finally returned to the NRL’s top four.

Against a self-destructing Tigers team, the Cowboys played as if the NRL Nines were in Townsville as they racked up up a record 64-6 victory.

Winger Matthew Wright starred with a hat-trick in the first 12 minutes.

Wright was searching for a nine-to-five earlier this year, accepting his rugby league career was finished at the age of 23. His remarkable turnaround has mirrored that of the Cowboys.

News_Image_File: Jason Taumalolo was one of many try scorers for the Cowboys.

North Queensland were beating the clock in the first half, collecting 32 points in 31 minutes against disinterested Tigers defence.

North Queensland were so dominant, Johnathan Thurston tried out left footed goal-kicking in the dying minutes.

In the opening half, the Cowboys completed twice the number of sets the Tigers did, bagging six tries. They piled on six more in the second half.

News_Image_File: Tautau Moga scored twice during the rout.

It was the biggest victory in the Cowboys’ history surpassing their 52-point beating of South Sydney in 2003.

In round 17 the Cowboys were placed 13th and considered NRL flops following a loss to St George Illawarra.

Now they are a premiership threat as Paul Green’s new structures click to produce brilliant football.

News_Rich_Media: Robbie Farah's week has gone from bad to worse with the Wests Tigers skipper copping unwanted friendly fire in Saturday night's match against the North Queensland Cowboys.

The Cowboys this season have beaten premiership heavyweights South Sydney, Melbourne, Canterbury and the Sydney Roosters and face third placed Penrith in Penrith next week.

The Tigers team they demolished, however, was awful and they are at the lowest point in the club’s short history.

They are redefining the rugby league crisis with captain Robbie Farah warring with the coaching staff and management.

Wests were missing 11 regular starters against the Cowboys with backrower Cory Patterson forced to the wing.

News_Image_File: Jonathan Thurston had such an easy night he even attempted one conversion with his left foot.

The first minute of the contest proved the Tigers were distracted as the Cowboys’ kick-off bounced over their dead-ball line.

The resulting goal-line drop out saw North Queensland cross in just the third minute through Wright.

Ipswich product Tautau Moga set that try up and repeated the dose 10 minutes later with quick hands for Wright to score his second.

Fast-forward two minutes and Wright had his third. This time he latched on to a Johnathan Thurston bomb with an audacious AFL-style take to bag a hat-trick in the 15th minute.

News_Rich_Media: North Queensland Cowboys coach Paul Green addresses the press following his side's thumping of the Wests Tigers.

Wright was dumped by Cronulla last season.

The Sharks opted not to re-sign him and the Cowboys only picked him up after Lachlan Coote suffered a season-ending injury in February.

The Cowboys’ top four hopes were boosted on match eve with the Knights upsetting the Melbourne Storm in a stunning last-second try in Newcastle.

The Knights exposed Melbourne through the middle of the field and revealed the Storm may not be the premiership contenders their recent three-game win streak suggested.

News_Image_File: The Tigers are left to rue an awful night in Townsville.

While Canterbury dropped from fifth place to seventh following their thrashing at the hands of Brisbane.

However, South Sydney have emerged as premiership favourites following their impressive demolition of table-topping Manly Sea Eagles in which their line speed was the fastest witnessed in the NRL since the Sydney Roosters teams of the early 2000s.

The Cowboys final game of the season is against Manly and it will be a true test of their premiership credentials.

COWBOYS FANS: RATE YOUR PLAYERS

NORTH QUEENSLAND 64 (M Wright 3 T Moga 2 J Taumalolo 2 A Winterstein 2 K Linnett M Morgan T Sims tries J Thurston 8 goals) bt WESTS TIGERS 6 (A Woods try C Paterson goal) at 1300SMILES Stadium. Referee: Shayne Hayne, David Munro. Crowd: 12,317.