Northern Pride sees North Queensland Cowboys NRL players step up against Wynnum-Manly

The return of an injured Cowboys gun via the Queensland Cup is set to give Todd Payten even more selection headaches. Catch up on how North Queensland’s fringe players performed in Cup this week.

Tom Duffy of the Cowboys runs with the ball during the 2025 NRL Pre-Season Challenge match between Melbourne Storm and North Queensland Cowboys at Casey Fields on February 23, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

Northern Pride’s 28-26 loss to Wynnum Manly Seagulls will go down as a brutal disappointment for the squad, but their coach is emphasising that it’s not all doom and gloom for the team from the Far North.

The Pride squandered a 22-6 lead to go down against a Seagulls squad that looked hapless in the first half, in what Pride fans were surely hoping would be their first win of the 2025 Queensland Cup season.

“It’s definitely a disappointing outcome, we looked the goods in the first half and just couldn’t push the advantage in the second,” Pride coach Russ Aitken said.

Pride's Dantoray Lui, Marly Bitungane and Will Partridge celebrate a try in the Hostplus Cup Queensland Rugby League (QRL) match between the Northern Pride and the Sunshine Coast Falcons, held at Barlow Park, Cairns Picture: Brendan Radke

“We had a lot of attacking threats and stuck to our game in the first half. If we look at the performance as a whole there’s a lot to like, but we’re just losing enough moments to have it cost us on the final score line.

“It’s a learning opportunity, but we’d like to be learning while also winning.”

Some of the key positives came from a returning figure on the comeback trail from a hamstring injury last month in Braidon Burns.

Burns scored a try midway through the first half, but it was his performance as a whole and the influence his presence had on the side that his coach lauded.

“He was enormous for the group. His experience is something we haven’t had a whole heap of, he’s someone who is capable of holding the whole team accountable,” Aitken said.

“I couldn’t speak highly enough of his performance.”

Braidon Burns of the Cowboys celebrates scoring a try for the Cowboys back in 2024. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Tom Duffy set up the game’s opening try with a clever grubber kick that wrong-footed the Wynnum-Manly defence. The young halfback followed it up 10 minutes later with a try of his own in a productive first half.

“We needed his leadership in the group throughout the game, it was really pleasing to see,” Aitken said.

“It was a game of two halves to some degree for ‘Duff’, the way we finished our sets in the second half probably wasn’t ideal, but he had a great impact on the group.”

Tom Duffy of the Cowboys runs with the ball during the 2025 NRL Pre-Season Challenge match between Melbourne Storm and North Queensland Cowboys at Casey Fields on February 23, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

Marly Bitungane was trusted with plenty of hit-ups throughout as one of the Pride’s two starting props, and once again showed his aggression in pursuing the try line as a front rower.

Zac Herdegen played a secondary role to Duffy in the halves but was nonetheless creative when he had his opportunities.

The team’s new signing in former Melbourne Storm and Parramatta Eels winger Isaac Lumelume had a mixed performance, with some dropped balls costing his side at a few key junctures.

“At the same time his presence on the wing was really helpful for our debutant in Braithan Ketchell. His impact on the group has been terrific both on game day and during the week,” Aitken said.

“He had a mixed afternoon, but he knows where he needs to be better and the rest of the squad knows where we can be better in helping him.”

Zac Laybutt was unavailable for selection as he had travelled with the Cowboys squad to Perth.

Originally published as Northern Pride sees North Queensland Cowboys NRL players step up against Wynnum-Manly