Cowboys hold off Raiders to secure first win of 2025

Cowboys coach Todd Payten can breathe a sigh of relief, as North Queensland held off a late Raiders fightback to secure their first win of the season.

The Cowboys have their first win of 2025 after desperately holding out the Canberra Raiders in a nailbiting 30-20 triumph in front of 18,897 fans in Townsville.

It looked like Canberra was about to hit the lead late when Raiders rocket Xavier Savage broke the line with Owen Pattie in support, but instead the winger elected to go himself and let the try go begging.

Instead, it was the Cowboys’ captain courageous Tom Dearden who put the team on his shoulders with the match-sealing try in the late stages.

Jake Clifford starred for North Queensland after starting the season in the Queensland Cup, scoring two tries and assisting another to make an emphatic statement that he belongs in first grade.

It took 212 minutes of football, but with Clifford’s first try late in the opening half, the Cowboys took a lead for the first time this season.

Jake Clifford starred for the Cowboys as they secured their first win of the season. Picture: Getty Images

Jeremiah Nanai made an immediate impact when he entered the contest about half an hour in and Cowboys coach Todd Payten needs to find a way to include the Maroons backrower in his starting team.

Savage celebrated his 50th NRL appearance with a try when he soared well above Drinkwater – who inexcusably didn’t make a leaping attempt to catch the ball – as the Raiders speedster gave his side some hope in the second half.

A relieved Cowboys coach Todd Payten said he was impressed with the fight shown to get out of the 0-3 hole the team had dug itself into.

“I’m really proud of the team and the club and how we’ve stuck together,” Payten said

“It’s been difficult three weeks. Tonight we won off the back of our D (defence), a real gritty performance defending with 12 men there in the second half.

PAYTEN’S STICKY SITUATION

With North Queensland’s win, coach Todd Payten continued his incredible coaching record over his former teammate and coach Ricky Stuart.

Stuart played 13 games with Payten at the Raiders before coaching the current Cowboys coach at the Roosters in 2003.

But the Raiders mentor has only beaten Payten once in eight attempts since Payten began coaching in 2020.

Payten’s impressive win streak coincides with North Queensland’s recent dominance over the ‘green machine’, beating Canberra in seven straight games.

Cowboys coach Todd Payten can breathe a sigh of relief, with a pressure relieving win. Picture: Getty Images

SLOW STARTS STILL HURTING COWBOYS

Entering the game, North Queensland had scored just six first half points in their past four games, but the Cowboys were able to buck that trend with a late flurry of scoring.

It was always going to be a tough assignment this week: the Raiders have not conceded a point in the opening 20 minutes of any game this season.

Canberra kept that record intact, but the Cowboys came to life in the 25th minute and finished the first half with 16 points.

HIGH BALL WOES CONTINUE

Canberra’s back three would have been practising defusing bombs all week, yet it still proved to be the Raiders’ Achilles heel.

Both wingers and fullback Kaeo Weekes were exposed under high balls in the first half, with the Cowboys capitalising on their shakiness to score three tries in a stunning eight-minute frenzy.

The trio of young guns finished the game with six errors.

Stuart said Weekes still had the full support of the team.

“Kaeo is a very talented footballer. I’ve got no dramas whatsoever with ‘K’ there, and if there’s a fullback out there that’s never spilt a ball or had a try scored like that over them, I don’t know them,” Stuart said.

“He’s got the coaches’ confidence. He’s our fullback, he’s a great player and I know he’s got the support of the whole group.”

Originally published as Cowboys hold off Raiders to secure first win of 2025