North Queensland hang on for 26-20 win over Penrith in Bathurst to spark fresh hope
NORTH Queensland nearly gave up a 20-point lead but managed to pull things together when it mattered most and hold on for a vital 26-20 win over Penrith in Bathurst.
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COWBOYS coach Paul Green declared North Queenland’s champion “spirit of old” is back after watching his side get their season back on track ... just.
Johnathan Thurston’s hopes of a fairytale finale remain intact after embattled North Queensland withstood a furious Penrith finish to scrape home 26-20 in a nailbiter at Carrington Park.
Before a packed house of 10,287, the Cowboys produced the ultimate Jekyll-and-Hyde performance, bolting to a 20-0 lead inside 33 minutes before almost capitulating in a nerve-jangling second half.
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Green’s blood pressure would have exploded when the Panthers scored three tries in 13 minutes to whittle the deficit to 24-20 and set up a pulsating final quarter.
But the 2015 premiers hung on, with a Thurston penalty goal nine minutes from full-time edging the equal-last-placed Cowboys home for just their third win of the season.
By rights, the visitors deserved the victory, with the other JT - hulking lock Jason Taumalolo - returning to form with a 233m mauling to set the platform for Thurston and Michael Morgan to fire.
“There was a noticeable improvement ... the old Cowboys spirit is back,” Green said.
“We’ve had a tough start to the year, but to win like that, I just felt we were fighting hard and turning up.
“In previous week we went into our shells and hadn’t turned up, but we just needed a spark and it happened out there.
“We stuck together ... it was great to see.”
While the margin was close, this was easily North Queensland’s best effort of the season. They played with energy and defensive hunger and while Thurston won’t be talking premierships yet, the Cowboys can now build.
Rocked by one win in seven weeks, the Cowboys were entitled to run out with their confidence shot.
Instead, they fired a shot across the bow of a shellshocked Penrith. The Panthers’ left-edge defence was ripped to shreds by speed and clever ball movement as tries to Morgan (14th minute) and Ben Hampton (19th) catapulted the Cowboys to a 12-0 inside the opening quarter.
While Morgan and Thurston looked better, they can’t orchestrate magic without a dominant forward pack and the Cowboys’ big boppers finally muscled up.
Of Taumalolo, forward leader Matt Scott said: “He’s been good all year. He’s got us on the front foot and that’s what he brings to this team.”
Young hulk Coen Hess played with energy, Taumalolo ran like a freight train again and Gavin Cooper was superb on the left edge, charging onto a 33rd minute Thurston ball to give the visitors a 20-4 half-time lead.
The Panthers came flying out of the blocks after the break, but the Cowboys held their nerve. Thurston can begin to dream again.
NORTH QUEENSLAND 26 (G Cooper B Hampton M Morgan J Thurston tries J Thurston 5 goals) bt PENRITH 20 (T Phillips 2 P Wallace 2 tries J Maloney 2 goals) at Carrington Park. Referee: Ashley Klein, Peter Gough. Crowd: 10,289
Originally published as North Queensland hang on for 26-20 win over Penrith in Bathurst to spark fresh hope