Cowboys demolition job soured by injuries

Cowboys have scored 50, yes 50, unanswered points to destroy the Warriors 50-16 at Mt Smart stadium.

It was anything but a standard Cowboys win 15 minutes into the game - Warriors were sixteen points up and looking like they were in mid-season form.

Tuimoala Lolohea pulled the strings, slicing through twice once to score himself while the other sent Dominique Peyroux in for a score. Debut half Mason Lino grubbered through for Ken Maumalo and somehow, it was 16-nil to the home side.

Enter Johnathan Thurston - the star scored himself and assisted the other three giving the Cowboys an amazing eight point lead at the break despite losing both Michael Morgan and James Tamou to injury.

It was returning winger Kyle Feldt who shone, as he bagged a double to retain his try a game ratio in the NRL with Justin O'Neill crossing for the other.

The rout continued six minutes after half-time, young forward Ben Spina was around to hoover up the remains to extend the lead. Cowboys got some great impact from their bench as the other interchange forward Coen Hess strode through the gap to further the misery.

As the game ticked into the hour mark, the Warriors had long given up the fight which allowed the Cowboys to confirm their status at the best second half attacking side - Feldt got his hat-trick and Justin O'Neill added a second alongside a strong rampaging effort from Kane Linnett to get them past the half century marker.

For the Cowboys it was a welcome return to form after a lean two weeks, but the victory came at a cost with potentially serious injuries suffered by two vital ingredients in the line-up (Morgan and Tamou). Ben Hannant ably deputised for Tamou tonight but the loss of Morgan will be harder to fill as his understanding with Thurston was instrumental in the Cowboys winning streak.

The home side are limping towards the end of another miserable, and finals-less season with the massive spring cleaning to come plus the high profile recruits will make for interesting formlines going into 2016.

Match Details

New Zealand Warriors 16 North Queensland Cowboys 50
Venue: Mt Smart Stadium
Crowd: 14,412
Halftime Score: New Zealand Warriors 16 North Queensland Cowboys 24

NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS (16)
Tries: Tuimoala Lolohea, Ken Maumalo, Dominique Peyroux
Conversions: Tuimoala Lolohea (2/3)

NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS (50)
Tries: Kyle Feldt (3), Johnathan Thurston, Justin O'Neill (2), Ben Spina, Coen Hess, Kane Linnett
Conversions: Johnathan Thurston (7/9)

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:

3 points - Johnathan Thurston
2 points - Kyle Feldt
1 point - Ben Hannant

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

TEAM CHANGES:

WAR: One big change for the Warriors! Mason Lino replaces out-going half Chad Townsend in the halves, wearing #20.

NQL: Several changes for the visiting Cowboys. Kyle Feldt and Ben Hannant come into the starting line-up in #21 and #17. The bench now reads Asiata, Kostjaysn, Hess and Spina.

We're off to New Zealand for the second game of the triple header tonight featuring the Warriors against Cowboys. The Warriors have fallen sharply since they sat in the top four halfway through the season, and now, without Johnson have fallen in a heap and are closer to the spoon than finals - can the injection of young half Lino help them against the Cowboys?

For North Queensland, it has been a stuttering last few weeks and they need to get back on track, to secure top four after losses to the Sharks and Rabbitohs. Johnathan Thurston would be eyeing another Dally M medal and could go a long way to that with another virtuoso performance tonight. Join us at 5:30pm AEST (7:30PM Local) for kick-off.

1: Both teams have hit the field, Cowboys ready to kick-off as Warriors will receive.

1: KICK-OFF! Here we go!

3: First PENALTY of the evening to the home side. Holding down too long.

5: VIDEO REFEREE: Checking grounding..

5: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Tuimoala Lolohea. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS..TRY! Lolohea just stepped, and fended into a gap using his pace to score.

7: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Tuimoala Lolohea successful.
Just showing he can do it all, Lolohea converts his own try.

9: VIDEO REFEREE: We're upstairs again, checking onside.

9: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Ken Maumalo. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS..TRY! Nothing wrong with it. The kick was touched on the way through for Maumalo to get his first senior try.

9: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Tuimoala Lolohea unsuccessful.
Missed.

11: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Dominique Peyroux. Kick to come.
No video this time! Lolohea sliced through so easily, positioned Peyroux before he stabbed the kick away for him.

13: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Tuimoala Lolohea successful.
Been the Lolohea show early. Can he nail a second conversion for the night? Yes he can.

15: After a lengthy delay for James Tamou, who needed a stretcher following a collison, we are back underway. Best wishes to Tamou and family.

16: PENALTY Cowboys. They finally get some territory.

17: Upstairs once more, checking if the ball got down..

17: RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! Clearly held up. 4th.

17: VIDEO REFEREE: Feldt might have gone in, checking touchline.

17: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Kyle Feldt. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Feldt stayed up right and slammed it down. Cowboys back into this.

19: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston from the sideline, curls it over.

22: PENALTY Cowboys! Now they are cooking with gas.

23: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Johnathan Thurston. Kick to come.
Thurston strides through a huuuuge gap, and reduces it to four the difference after the kick.

24: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston smashes through the kick.

25: PENALTY Cowboys! Crushed by Bodene Thompson, ON REPORT.

26: Hess tried to burrow over there. Held up. Changeover.

27: Last tackle after Morgan is now, taken from the field. Stabbed into the in-goal and Warriors forced to dropout.

29: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Coen Hess makes an unforced error.
Hess tried to hook the ball forward instead of back. Big let off for the Warriors.

31: Pin-point from JT. A stabbing kick forced Maumalo to force it dead.

32: SIX MORE for the visitors.

33: More pressure here. Thurston with the ball on a string currently.

35: PENALTY Cowboys! Illegal tackle. They just keep on piling on now. 4-1 count to the visitors.

36: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Kyle Feldt. Kick to come.
You Feldt that was coming. Cut-out pass gave the winger a double.

37: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston converts to give the Cowboys, a lead! Yes, a lead going into half-time.

39: UNFORCED ERROR NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Ken Maumalo makes an unforced error.
Maumalo just made a meal of that catch. He waited, and waited then fumbled the return.

39: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Justin O'Neill. Kick to come.
Cowboys just went back to the well again. It is a simple move to the right, that allowed O'Neill to slice through.

40: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
HALF-TIME hooter sounds on a remarkable half of footy. Thurston with a final kick to edge it out to eight. He steps in and

41: KICK-OFF! We're off again.

42: PENALTY Warriors!

43: ...and another! Vete also earns this one.

43: VIDEO REFEREE: Tomkins strolls in but we're checking everyone's favourite.. obstruction.

43: RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! Hoffman touched someone in the line.

46: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Ben Spina. Kick to come.
Ben Spina picks up the rewards from a lovely bat back! Cowboys add to their dominance.

47: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston unsuccessful.
Thurston misses his first for the night.

49: PENALTY Warriors!

50: ..another PENALTY for the Warriors. Right on the line here

51: UNFORCED ERROR NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Nathan Friend makes an unforced error.
Friend spills it and mouths off. PENALTY.

53: PENALTY Warriors! Their fourth in a row..

55: PENALTY now goes the other way! Followed by some pushing around.

56: VIDEO REFEREE: Checking grounding for Conn Hess' debut try.

56: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Coen Hess. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! No problems there. Hess got it down easily.

56: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston converts.

58: PENALTY Warriors! They get lucky from an offside call. Thurston had planted the kick perfectly.

59: So many penalties in this game. Another one here. Cowboys right back on the attack.

63: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Kyle Feldt. Kick to come.
Hat-trick for Feldt! Simple step inside and score.

65: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston unsuccessful.
Sideline conversion for Thurston, misses.

67: Warriors tried to shift it on last - giving Kata some room but he couldn't fire the pass backwards.

74: Tomkins kick doesn't go the ten. PENALTY so Cowboys start ten out.

74: VIDEO REFEREE: CHecking it, for obstruction but Linnett steamed through.

74: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Kane Linnett. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS..TRY! Nothing wrong with it and Linnett smashes it down.

74: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston from besides the posts, lines up his eighth kick of the night. He adds it.

76: PENALTY Cowboys! Strip.

77: PENALTY Cowboys! Stripped.

78: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Justin O'Neill. Kick to come.
Cowboys just do it too easy! O'Neill with a double.

79: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Ninth attempt of the night, Thurston to bring up 50 points, does so.

80: FULL-TIME! It was a demolition from the Cowboys. 50-16 winners.