Cowboys Send A Message With Big Win

A brilliant 30-16 has propelled the North Queensland Cowboys into the top four, and has denied the Sea Eagles the Minor Premiership, in front of a huge and vocal crowd of 22,521.

Robert Lui was the destroyed for the home side, who at worst will host a semi final next weekend, and at best, will travel to Allianz Stadium to play the team they helped win the Minor Premiership, the Roosters.

The Sea Eagles were their own worst enemy throughout, surrendering too much possession to the red hot Cowboys.

Robert Lui had a hand in numerous tries, including two try assists and even crossed the line for one of his own. Manly winger Jorge Taufua will have nightmares of this night after looking all at sea under the Lui led bomb squad.

Tries to Winterstein, Linnett, the aforementioned Lui and a double to Kyle Feldt proved the Cowboys superiority over a Manly side who looked as though they had one eye on next week from early in the second half.

A late, brilliant try to Manly fill-in fullback Clinton Gutherson could not take the gloss off what was a dominant performance by a Cowboys side who will fancy their chances next week no matter who their opponent.

For the home side, tonight's effort was a million miles from their stumbling win last Monday Night.

Lui, Scott and Linnett were the home side's best on the night, which will be encouraging to fans in the far North, as their side managed to beat a top quality side even though superstar Thurston was kept quiet.

In saying that, Thurston will finish the season as the top point scorer and will battle it out with Jarryd Hayne for the Dally M medal. 

NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS (30)
Tries: Antonio Winterstein, Kyle Feldt (2), Kane Linnett, Robert Lui
Field Goals:
Conversions: Johnathan Thurston (4/5)
Penalty Goals: Johnathan Thurston (1/1)

MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES (16)
Tries: Steve Matai, Justin Horo, Clinton Gutherson
Field Goals:
Conversions: Jamie Lyon (2/3)
Penalty Goals:

Welcome to the coverage of the game that will decide the NRL Minor Premiership, as the Cowboys host the Sea Eagles. Brett Stewart will miss the game, replaced by Clinton Gutherson. The Cowboys are as named

After two decent games today, it is time for the main course. The minor premiership set up is simple, if Manly win, they lift the Shield, if not, it returns to Bondi. A win for the home side could see them finish in the top four, however a loss could see them lose home ground advantage next week. HUGE game

Brent Tate will the lap of honour pre-game. A huge crowd in attendance. Once again, Brett Stewart is out with a rolled ankle. It's yet to be seen how serious the injury is, but there's certainly no point in risking the superstar number one. Just minutes until kick off. This is going to be fun

Here come Manly, led out by Lyon and DCE. Fair line up despite the injuries. Thurston vs DCE could be a ripper. Vocal crowd here tonight

The away side with first use of the footy. Plenty of feeling in the opening two tackles.

2: Thurston bombs, Cowboys swarm Hiku, drop out Manly. Great kick. Watmough down injured in back play

3: Penalty Cowboys: inside the ten. 20 out, right in front. They'll take the two

5: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Penalty goal attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston takes an easy two points front right in front. Cowboys will play from in front. 200 points for the season for JT

7: Tariq Sims has gone down clutching at his nose. Headclash with King. That's going to hurt. Total accident, but doesn't stop it from hurting. Ouch!!!

7: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Tariq Sims makes an unforced error.
Sims loses the ball in the collision . That's tough

7: Penalty Manly. DCE makes a half break and they hold him down. They'll kick for touch

7: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Steve Matai. Kick to come.
Gutherson fills in for Snake beautifully and puts Matai over out wide. Brilliant shift wide

9: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon unsuccessful.
Lyon misses with the conversion ... only just tho.

10: Watmough is fine for those playing at home. Manly working it out of their own end after the try

10: DCE puts the ball into row C with a midfield bomb. That did not come off the boot well

12: Thurston with a beautiful ball out wide, but it all comes to naught. Brilliant defense Manly

14: UNFORCED ERROR MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Jorge Taufua makes an unforced error.
Taufua jumps with no one around him. Knock on. Cowboys a HUGE chance here

15: Thurston puts the ball on the chest of the camera man. Ball sails over the sideline. Chance gone

15: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Johnathan Thurston makes an unforced error.
Camera man must have called for that. Sails over the side line

16: UNFORCED ERROR MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Justin Horo makes an unforced error.
Horo loses it, Manly back under pressure. Cowboys on the attack

17: It's a try here for the Cowboys, but the refs send it up for contact on the player who passed the ball. Did not look good. it's four points, at least here

17: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Antonio Winterstein. Kick to come.
Try time Cowboys. Linnet with the final ball. Beautiful play from the Cowboys. Nothing wrong with the tackle btw

18: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston unsuccessful.
From the sideline ... Misses by quite a margin.

19: Penalty Cowboys. Bit of a stink here after the penalty

20: Lifting tackle there. Risky with finals starting next week, Silly stuff

21: Hiku, great tackle under the high ball. Manly ruck it out from their own line

21: UNFORCED ERROR MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Jayden Hodges makes an unforced error.
Lost at dummy half. Pressure back on for the Sea Eagles

23: Penalty Manly: Thurston runs behind his own players on a frantic last tackle option.

24: Manly look dangerous when they shift it left. Cowboys diffuse a chip kick and have it on their own line.

25: Matai is down. 25th minute for those playing Matai bingo

26: UNFORCED ERROR MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
James Hasson makes an unforced error.
Lose carry. Scrum Cowboys close to half way.

26: Manly at 50% completion. Not good enough thus far

27: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Kyle Feldt. Kick to come.
Fedlt flies hiiiiiigh above the rest and scores off a towering Lui bomb. Brilliant leap

29: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston adds the two from a fairly easy angle. Cowboys out by 8

30: Good kick from Lui. Eagles with the tough graft here from their own line

31: DCE with a puff piece kick. Straight to Morgan's chest. Catching practice. HUGE tackle tho from Cherry

32: Taufua makes an ABSOLUTE meal of the bomb. Luckily he missed it all together and the ball bounces to King. Penalty Manly. There's a huge target on the winger's chest right now

33: Penalty Cowboys: mid air tackle on Thurston.

34: Cowboys easy metres up the middle here

34: Thurston looked in for ALL money but Manly swarm and deny him. Cowboys causing havoc with the high ball

36: 7/14 completion as the bomb again sails out of bounds by a mile. manly very un Manly like tonight

37: We're going to the video. On field decision is a TRY!!!

37: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Kane Linnett. Kick to come.
Try time in the corner for Linnett. Great effort from DCE but it was not to be as Linnett caps off a simple backline movement

38: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston NAILS it from the sideline. Brilliant kick

40: Video referee - No try is the on field decision. Taufua needs some practice under the high ball, he is ALL OVER THE SHOP tonight. Looks like a knock on which will save his blushes

40: No try. Lucky there for the Manly winger who looks all at sea under the high ball

40: A big half there from the Cowboys who lead 18-4. It could have been more but for some desperate defense from the Eagles. Lui's boot doing the damage thus far

40: So far so good for the Cowboys, who may finish as high as fourth if results go their way. As for Manly, they'll need to produce far better in the upcoming 40 or they'll hand the shield back to the Roosters

40: Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere we go. The Minor Premiership to be decided in the next 40

41: Penalty Cowboys. King, who is bleeding from above the eye, meaning the home side will have great field position here

43: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Kyle Feldt. Kick to come.
Feldt scores in the corner after a beautiful ball from Lui. Costly penalty from King. Cowboys on fire

44: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston slots it, OFF THE UPRIGHT!!!

46: Thurston one point off the top of the point scoring charts. Favourite to win the Dally M. Fair player

47: DCE drills the ball into Cooper, and the Eagles get a fresh set. Fortunate

48: Penalty Cowboys - some scrambling defense denies Manly, but they'll get six more here from 10 out

48: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Justin Horo. Kick to come.
There it is. Foran with the final pass. Horo in next to the posts. Too easy. Game on

49: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Easy for Lyon. Eagles back in it. They needed that big time

50: Geese that live ladder is exciting. Good last round this

51: Thurston sends it into orbit but Hiku takes a beauty. He stays down after the tackle. Grabbing at his knee. Trouble here

52: Six more Cowboys. Good position here. Fresh set 40 out

53: Drop out. Lui again with the boot. He's been great tonight

54: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Robert Lui. Kick to come.
Lui slices through and scores under the posts. He's been the man tonight. Brilliant step.

56: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Straight through from right in front. Cowboys look very, very good tonight. JT will be top point scorer for the year

57: Roosters fans celebrating on social media. They look home. Sims takes the short kick off.

58: Lui with a rare off kick tonight. Taufua takes it easily. Back to the 20

58: UNFORCED ERROR MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Josh Starling makes an unforced error.
Horrible pass from Watmough, Starling drops the ball. Cowboys on the attack

60: Manly well behind in all the stats, especially the scoreboard

60: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Ashton Sims makes an unforced error.
Sims knocks it on trying to pick up a lose ball. Manly have to score, and quickly. They'll have a chance here

61: Great tackle by Linnett on Lyon. Manly side to side

62: Watmough's gone off. Penalty Cowboys. Have Manly conceded defeat here?

64: Penalty Cowboys: They looked in but some desperate defense denies there. Late tackle. Another try would ice this game, if it's not already over

64: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Kyle Feldt makes an unforced error.
Feldt cops a hospital pass and can't handle what was a shocking pass so early in the count

66: Cowboys all over DCE here. He can't find any space. A nothing kick, Cowboys regain possession in good field position

68: Lui with a good kick and chase. Manly stuck in their own end until Foran makes a break. Out to the 20

69: Cowboys seem to have all the answers at the moment. Winterstein down injured. Ankle

70: Penalty Cowboys. They'll look for more points

70: Possible try to Jason Taumalolo. Possible double movement. On field says no try

70: No try, Play the ball. He came up short.

71: Josh Starling with the charge down and 60 metre run. Great stuff. Turns defense into attack

72: Morgan denies DCE who looks like he might regather a clever kick. Brilliant play by the Cowboys number one

72: MATAI HAMMERS SIMS!!! HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE HIT!!!

72: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Tariq Sims makes an unforced error.
Not an unforced error, but that hit deserves a second mention. MATAI!!!

73: Penalty Sea Eagles for a high shot.

74: James Hasson is bleeding, as is King. King is wearing two jumpers now. This is mayhem

75: Time to start celebrating in the Eastern Suburbs. Surely manly cant catch them now

76: Winterstein with an easy take in his own in goal. Back to the 20

76: Penalty Cowboys. Here they come again

77: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Johnathan Thurston makes an unforced error.
Thurston with a forward pas to Cooper. Sea Eagles survive, but it is game over

78: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Clinton Gutherson. Kick to come.
BRILLIANT try from the fill in fullback. Taufua makes a break down the left, draws and passes the the youngster is in. That's great football

79: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Lyon sends it over

80: South Sydney will have a huge turn around when they play Manly next week. this is a costly loss for the Eagles

80: The Cowboys deny the Sea Eagles the Minor Premiership, and put themselves in with a real chance of a top four spot. At worst they will host a final next week from fifth spot, but if Penrith lose tomorrow night, the Cowboys will play the Roosters. Huge finals implications in this result. Brilliant performance by the Cowboys. They're primed for the finals.