FULLTIME. Cowboys grind out a win.
North Queensland Cowboys 24-4
TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Kane Linnett. Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Good pass from Thurston to Linnett who steps and beats two to cross the stripe. Thurston makes his 500th conversion.
North Queensland Cowboys 24-4
Kick-off didn't go ten, PENALTY.
North Queensland Cowboys 18-4
TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Antonio Winterstein. Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Cowboys wrap up the game from a simple error by Feki as Thurston swoops and hands it to Winterstein to walk in. Thurston swings the conversion over.
North Queensland Cowboys 18-4
SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Penalty goal attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
He pilots it through.
North Queensland Cowboys 12-4
PENALTY Sharks for an accidental offside. Thurston points straight to the posts.
North Queensland Cowboys 10-4
Robson takes a deflection from a kick but is put into touch. Scrum Cowboys 10 out from the try line.
North Queensland Cowboys 10-4
UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Todd Carney makes an unforced error.
Carney puts the ball down in a tackle.
North Queensland Cowboys 10-4
Jonathan Thurston throws a long pass to his winger but Sharks' fullback Nathan Stapleton latches onto the ball and takes the intercept.
North Queensland Cowboys 10-4
The Cowboys force another drop out from the Sharks. It will be the fifth, all going in favour of the Cowboys.
North Queensland Cowboys 10-4
Ben Pomeroy grounds a Thurston kick. Drop out Sharks.
North Queensland Cowboys 10-4
Penalty to the Cowboys after a dangerous tackle from the Sharks. Momentum with the Cowboys now.
North Queensland Cowboys 10-4
TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Gavin Cooper. Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Gavin Cooper has crossed the line with a strong run allowing him to crash over. Thurston converts.
North Queensland Cowboys 10-4
Penalty to the Cowboys as Wright refuses to let Tate play the ball.
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Lui puts a high one up but Wright marks it easily in goal with no pressure. 20 restart.
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The Sharks kick off and the Cowboys have the first use of the football in the second half.
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The Cowboys and Sharks are all locked up at half time. It is 4-4 here at 1300smiles Stadium.
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Penalty to the Sharks as the Cowboys infringe the man playing the ball. Tap on the Cowboys' 30.
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UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Field goal attempt by Todd Carney unsuccessful.
Carney attempts a field goal but he is unsuccessful. 20 metre tap for the Cowboys.
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A cross field attack from the Cowboys is fumbled and the Sharks have a 20 metre tap
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After some poor attack, Robson gets a kick away but Greenshields gets the ball to the 30 metre line.
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Feki defuses a cowboys attack and they have the ball 10 metres from their line.
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Penalty Cowboys as Luke Lewis does not clear the ruck
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Jeff Robson goes to the sky with his kick but Greenshields takes the ball 5 from his line.
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Sharks working it away from their own try line.
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Robert Lui throws a pass to Cooper but he puts it down
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The Cowboys have opened up the Sharks in attack and forced a goal line drop out.
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UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Andrew Fifita makes an unforced error.
Fifita loses the ball and a scrum will go down to the Cowboys 30 from their line.
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The Sharks have crossed for their first try in Townsville and it came through a simple two pass play. Morris passed from Hooker to Carney who simply passed the ball on to a strong Lewis who muscles his way over. Carney misses his conversion attempt.
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VIDEO REFEREE: Luke Lewis has crashed over after a good ball from Carney but the referees are checking the grounding. The ref has said Try.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
Sharks are 30 metres from the try line with a full set.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
Penalty to the Sharks.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
Thurston dabs the kick in but Wright easily brings it to his 20.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
Carney threw a bullet pass to Tupou on his inside but it is put down and the Cowboys shut the Sharks out again.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
Nathan Stapleton has been opened up and sent to the blood bin after a knee to the head from Ashton Sims. He will be placed on report. Sharks have a penalty and are on the attack forty from the Cowboys line.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
Lui's kick finds Wright on the full and he is tackled 30 from his own line. Momentum going to the Sharks.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
Fifita tries to burrow his way over but he offloads into Ray Thompsons arms. Cowboys working it out.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
After a brilliant run from Nathan Stapleton, the Sharks receive a penalty inside the Cowboys half for a hand on the ball, they are on the attack.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
Graham gets the ball in a hurried fifth tackle option for the Cowboys, puts a kick in but the Sharks have it comfortably.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
Carney puts in a kick five metres on his side of halfway, the ball finds Greenshields.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
Lui puts a bomb up 35 metres from the Sharks line but Stapleton takes a clean catch. The Sharks are working it from their own half.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
Cowboys have a scrum 10 metres from their own line.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Luke Lewis makes an unforced error.
Carney takes the line on and makes great metres, tries to offload to Luke Lewis but he puts it down.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
Robert Lui kicks across field to his outside backs but they both fumble the ball. Sharks have a 20 metre restart.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
The Cowboys force a goal line drop out through a kick from Thurston.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
Cowboys tap the ball off a penalty and are on their own forty metre line.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
PENALTY Cowboys, offside.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Kane Linnett. Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston unsuccessful.
Kane Linnett scores the Cowboys open off a Tariq Sims offload. Thurston misses.
North Queensland Cowboys 4-0
TEAM NEWS - the Cowboys are as per program. For Cronulla, Paul Gallen, Beau Ryan & Michael Gordon are all OUT. Into the side come Nathan Stapleton, Matthew Wright & Ben Ross. Andrew Fifita drops to the bench, with Chris Heighington to start.
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Cowboys: 1. Clint Greenshields 2. Ashley Graham 3. Brent Tate 4. Kane Linnett 5. Antonio Winterstein 6. Johnathan Thurston (c) 7. Robert Lui 8. Matthew Scott (c) 9. Ray Thompson 10. James Tamou 11. Tariq Sims 12. Glenn Hall 13. Dallas Johnson
Interchange: 14. Rory Kostjasyn 15. Gavin Cooper 16. Ashton Sims 17. Scott Bolton
Sharks: 20. Nathan Stapleton 2. Sosaia Feki 3. Ben Pomeroy 4. Jonathan Wright 21. Matthew Wright 6. Todd Carney 7. Jeff Robson 19. Ben Ross 9. John Morris 10. Sam Tagataese 11. Luke Lewis 12. Wade Graham 14. Chris Heighington
Interchange: 8. Andrew Fifita 15. Jayson Bukuya 16. Isaac De Gois 17. Anthony Tupou
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Referees & scorers:
Referee: Adam Devcich, Alan Shortall
Touch Judges: Peter Gough, Russell Turner
Video Referee: Steve Clark, Neil Wharton
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS (24)
Tries: Kane Linnett (2), Gavin Cooper, Antonio Winterstein
Field Goals:
Conversions: Johnathan Thurston (3/4)
Penalty Goals: Johnathan Thurston (1/1)
CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS (4)
Tries: Luke Lewis
Field Goals: Todd Carney (0/1)
Conversions: Todd Carney (0/1)
Penalty Goals: