NRL 2021: Wests Tigers win 24-16 over Cowboys | Match Report

He bulldozed Tom Dearden on his way to the try line and won the battle in the middle third against vastly more experienced opponents. To say Wests Tigers have hit upon a gem with Stefano Utoikamanu would be an understatement.

Stefano Utoikamanu took the Cowboys apart.

Adam Doueihi and Luke Brooks have kept the Tigers slim hopes of finals football alive and left Todd Payten scratching his head as to what to do next after a 24-16 win in Townsville.

The Cowboys losing streak has stretched to nine games, and after throwing the kitchen sink at his side this week, which included blooding two debutants, the Cowboys coach won’t know what to do next.

It was a game that was hard to watch at times, with the 12,663 fans in attendance probably wishing the mandatory face masks covered their eyes instead of their mouths after a combined 22 errors between the two sides.

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The Tigers have kept their slim finals hopes alive with a win over the Cowboys. Picture: Getty Images.

“We have to learn how to make sure we are more thorough with the things we do in attack. We are putting pressure on ourselves,” Tigers coach Michael Maguire said.

“It is an easy fix if we want it to be, we can turn it around and play a really good brand of footy. When the boys are playing their style they can control the game, I thought Brooksy and Adam definitely controlled the game.

“Adam had a strong performance, and you could see Brooksy out there barking orders. I think he could probably feel the fact we were putting pressure on ourselves. I thought those two really took control.”

It must be frustrating for the Cowboys coach as his side again waited until the game was all but over, down three converted tries in the final 10 minutes, to come alive and show they can play football.

But the damage had been done by Doueihi and Brooks who combined for three try assists, and ran the Cowboys makeshift edges ragged throughout the game.

North Queensland had enough opportunities in the first half to get themselves in the game, but failed to threaten with their slow structured plays proving easy for the Tigers to shut down.

“It is frustrating (waiting until it’s over to come alive), we have got to be smarter and keep working the way we have been working,” Payten said.

“We are low on confidence, after we have lost as many as we have lost. We are a little tentative at the moment and that is what happens when you lose games.

“(It was) disappointing the way we played that first half. We didn’t learn off the back of last week and we got the result we got.”

Doueihi led the way for the visitors finishing with 90 run metres, five tackle breaks, a line break and a try assist.

LEICHHARDT EXPRESS

Stefano Utoikamanu has grown to become one of the scariest prospects in any NRL forward pack and he proved it with a dominant display in Townsville.

The 191cm prop forward looked like Andre the Giant as he monstered Tom Dearden on his way to the try line to open the scoring for the Tigers.

The Cowboys attack struggled against the Tigers. Picture: Getty Images.

He proceeded to win the battle in the middle third, making Cowboys starting props Frank Molo and Jordan McLean – who are both on twice as much money as him – look second-rate.

The 21-year-old finished with two tackle breaks, two offloads and line break to go with his 149 metres from 16 carries in 42 minutes on the field.

“(Utoikamanu) has been good for us, he has been a really consistent performer for us. Every game he plays he is learning, he is understanding his style of play and I think the fact the guys are working with him and the combinations are growing between these young guys, that is where we need to be as a group,” Maguire said.

“He is definitely going to be a strong performer moving forward in the competition, not just for us, but I think there will be other representative stuff when the time is right.

“To watch him come to us, put his head down and do all the training he has done. He is a real pro. To go in and see what the Origin team does and how they prepare, that has taken him to another level. It is now doing that consistently.”

Jeremiah Nanai had a debut to remember, setting up a try assist and playing in front of his family. Picture: Getty Images.

FAFFING ON THE FIFTH

North Queensland’s fifth-tackle options were diabolical throughout the game.

Scott Drinkwater grubbered the ball dead on more than one occasion while in attacking territory, while Tom Dearden was lucky to get it through the defensive line in the first half.

The home side had a lot of field position in the first half, but never looked threatening.

The next best option is to mount pressure, but they failed to earn any repeat sets on the last.

The second half plan to kick for a contest between the diminutive Jake Granville and Ben Hampton against David Nofoaluma, one of the game’s best jumpers, was questionable at best.

The Cowboys halves had their chance to take control of the contest but failed in the battle against Tigers duo Luke Brooks and Adam Doueihi.

SCHOOLBOY TO SCORER

Cairns teenager Jeremiah Nanai had a debut to remember.

The skilful backrower, who only last year guided Kirwan State High School to a state championship, came on much earlier than expected in the first half and turned the game with a try minutes from the break.

It was a moment for Cowboys fans to savour after fellow debutant Griffin Neame threw the final pass after Kyle Feldt made the most of a shocking kick, toeing it back across the field.

At 18 years and 177 days, Nanai became the youngest debutant for the Cowboys since Maroons superstar Kalyn Ponga in 2016.