A Chad Townsend field goal in golden point saw the Cowboys produce a dramatic come-from-behind 21-20 victory over the Knights in Townsville on Saturday.
Down 12-0 at the end of a first half in which they made 10 errors and had just 38 percent of the ball, North Queensland fought back to within two points early in the second half before falling behind by as much as 10 again midway through the second stanza.
A try from Jeremiah Nanai with three to play looked to have set the hosts up for the win, but Valentine Holmes pushed the ensuing conversion wide and after a frantic final minute, which saw Newcastle work into field goal range but have the ball stripped and Holmes thump a long-range drop goal just wide, it went to golden point.
There the Cowboys worked down field on their first set, with Townsend slotting the winner despite heavy pressure from Kalyn Ponga, to ensure they remain unbeaten in 2024.
Jeremiah Nanai Try
Earlier it had looked like it simply wouldn't be North Queensland's day, as they coughed up error after error to put themselves under a heap of pressure.
A double from Adam Elliott saw Newcastle establish a two-score lead at the break, but they watched most of their good work disappear in the space of minutes to start the second half as the hosts scored twice in four minutes to make it 12-10.
Adam Elliott Try
Kyle Feldt popped a late offload for Townsend to score off his own kick, before the veteran wing scored one of his own to draw even with Matt Bowen as the Cowboys' all-time leading try-scorer.
Momentum changed again following a monster hit from Daniel Saifiti which forced an error from Jake Granville, with Greg Marzhew's try, coupled with a Kalyn Ponga conversion and penalty goal, giving the visitors a 10-point buffer again.
Daniel Saifiti forces the error
But there were more twists to come.
Tom Dearden put the comeback back on the menu with a barnstorming run over the line from close range, before his side got over again through Holmes but had the game-tying try claim overturned due to obstruction.
Nanai's four-pointer then looked to have signaled game over, but Holmes, who endured a tough day off the tee that included a missed penalty in the first half, couldn't add the crucial two points.
In the end Townsend made no mistake with his own chance to be the match-winner at Queensland Country Bank Stadium as the Cowboys celebrated opening the season with consecutive wins for the first time since 2017.
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Match Snapshot
- North Queensland's victory came despite them finishing on the wrong end of most of the key stat categories, including possession, metres run and errors.
- Reuben Cotter led the way for the Cowboys in defence with 57 tackles and just one miss.
- Cowboys back-rower Heilum Luki left the field with a high ankle injury midway through the first half and didn't return.
- The Knights are without a win in Townsville since 2015 and have failed to score more than 20 points in their past 12 games in Townsville.
A mistake you never see from Ponga
- Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt is now equal with Matt Bowen as the club's all-time leading try-scorer.
Play of the Game
A fitting finish to a wild game in Townsville. With Valentine Holmes having already missed one earlier and Tom Dearden out of the play, Chad Townsend took it upon himself to seal the win.
Townsend wins it in Golden Point
What They Said
"There's no doubt there's some things we need to get smarter and better at – we were obviously a bit slow coming out of the blocks in the second half – but I think they'll gain a fair few admirers in terms of the grit that they showed." – Knights coach Adam O'Brien.
Knights: Round 2
"Happy to get away with the win. I wouldn't say we deserved to win, but we found a way and in 10-12 weeks no-one really remembers how you won at the start of the year. When it mattered we got it done, but we didn't play well." – Cowboys coach Todd Payten.
Cowboys: Round 2
What's Next
The Cowboys head to New South Wales for the first time this season to play the Dragons at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, while the Knights have an eight-day turnaround before hosting the Storm in Newcastle, with hooker Jayden Brailey a good chance of being available after missing the opening fortnight with a hamstring injury.