It goes wide!!! Cowboys come back from the dead to win. Absolutely remarkable scenes here at Brookvale.
PENALTY MANLY: Slow down against Hess
Last chance saloon for Manly
Foran loses the football
Manly have to go 95 meters.
Manly go short and Saab knocks on. He went for the strip but unsuccessful.
Holmes is unsuccessful. Cowboys LEAD by 2
They were down by 14... they don't give up. DCE smashed from the scrum and Holmes runs 85 meters to score. What a team.
DCE loses it.
OH NO!!! Jeremiah Nanai knocks on
Holmes CONVERTS. DON'T MOVE
Well this one isn't OVER. What a try from the Cowboys. Shifted right from Holmes to Taulagi onto Lemuelu and the Cowboys aren't finished yet. They're coming home with a wet sail.
Holmes converts. Cowboys down 26-18.
We're going upstairs with a NO TRY. Reece Robson is OFFSIDE, but the ball has travelled 10m and it's a try.
Cowboys put it down.
PENALTY COWBOYS: Manly caught offside
Dearden loses the ball in the tackle.
Knock on against Saab. Poor bloke went face into the turf.
Cowboys get the ball back off the short ten. 3/3 strike rate.
Garrick converts. 14 point game.
Lachlan Croker will be given a second try here. Sensational
Gerard Sutton starting NO TRY. Second kick has proven to be a valuable weapon tonight. Croker may have lost it here though.
Morgan Harper passed his HIA. Kieran Foran still being assessed as we speak
Garrick converts. It's a two-possession game with 16 and a half to go.
Man of the moment. He set them up with the field position and off a poor set. Daly Cherry-Evans puts in a great grubber and Lachlan Croker gets to the ball first.
Momentum-changing kick from Lachlan Croker. A 40/20
Knock on Cowboys - meters out from the line.
One on one strip by Connelly Lemuelu. Cowboys on the attack
Kieran Foran taken off via the independent doctor
Another short ten works the treat for NQL. They get it back off the drop-out
Dearden knocks it dead and it'll be another set of six for Manly
PENALTY MANLY: Offside penalty - legal knock down from Jordan McLean but dived on in an offside position by Connelly Lemuelu
Morgan Harper off via the independent doctor.
Manly covert their set after points.
Garrick fails to convert and the lead remains two for Manly.
That's a second for Christian Tuipulotu. Pin-point kick from Lachlan Croker and it's a great take from the winger and gets his second.
PENALTY MANLY: Griffin Neame too long in the tackle
Tom Dearden puts it down, good set though after points as the error occurred on the final tackle.
Holmes converts and the Cowboys lead for the first time tonight.
Good kick from Scott Drinkwater, Andrew Davey failed to come down with the ball in the contest with Jake Granville and Jeremiah Nanai wins the race to the ball.
Jason Saab puts it down, not having a happy night the Manly winger
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has failed his HIA. Morgan Harper buy a lotto ticket mate, lucky to stay on the field.
Manly just recover the kickoff after Morgan Harper didn't catch it on the full. Luckily Christian Tuipulotu is there to recover for the home side.
Back underway for the second half as Gerard Sutton blows the whistle. Cowboys trailing by four at the change of ends. Can they come back??
Half-time: Manly up here 10-6 at 4 Pines Park
Harper bundled into touch
PENALTY MANLY: Scott Drinkwater all over the ruck
Injury surveillance ruling Hammer for an HIA. Where is the report for Morgan Harper??? NRL need some explanation there.
PENALTY COWBOYS: Morgan Harper knees Hammer accidentally in the back of the head.
That was an incredibly confusing one. Gerard Sutton thought the Cowboys challenged but Chad Townsend was adamant he didn't and Chad won.
Cowboys convert their set after points.
Holmes converts, and the Cowboys claw their way back. 10-6 with four and a half to go.
Both sides scoring off kicks here this evening. Coen Hess batted it back well in a contest. Chad Townsend puts it on a dime for Valentine Holmes to cross.
Chad Townsend taken on the last, great defence from Manly.
PENALTY COWBOYS: High shot from Tolutau Koula on Tom Dearden.
Scott Drinkwater having an unhappy opening 40 so far.
PENALTY COWBOYS: Dylan Walker with the leg-pull
Jeremiah Nanai saves the day after a great chip from Kieran Foran to Dylan Walker. But Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow takes the short drop-out. Big turning points there from the young Cowboys
PENALTY MANLY: Peta Hiku guilty of a flop. Cowboys compounding the score-line with a penalty. Seems similar to 2021.
Garrick converts. It's a 10-0 ball game. Yes, you are reading that right. Manly lead North Queensland 10-0
Well, that was some diabolical defence from the Cowboys. Jeremiah Nanai was called off-side and Harper broke straight through before linking up with Garrick to cross for Manly.
Saab goes into touch and loses it. Des Hasler is FUMING
Risky pass inside their own end and Tom Dearden unable to contain the pass.
Nanai's pass to the Hammer was ruled forward by David Munro on the sideline. Good decision
DCE loses it. Another Cowboys set coming up
Haumole Olakau'atu loses the football in the tackle. NO TRY - knock-on in the in-goal. Cowboys get a relieving seven tackle set.
Gerard Sutton going up NO TRY.
Reece Robson fails to take possession. Manly goes on the attack deep inside the Cowboys end.
Cowboys struggling to get out of yardage here. Really missing the go forward that Cotter can provide them.
An update re: Cotter. Brent Read is reporting that medicos optimistic Reuben Cotter has only a strained hamstring. Will return to Townsville tomorrow with the team to undergo scans
Haumole Olakau'atu ruled to have knocked on it'll be NO TRY
Gerard Sutton sending up NO TRY claiming a knock on from Haumole Olakau'atu.
Manly complete their set after points.
Garrick unable to convert from the right-hand touchline. 4-0 Manly
Well, it had to come, Manly shifted from right to left. Manly went up for the bomb, they kept it alive and the second kick for Christian Tuipulotu works wonders for the home side.
Jason Saab tried to come down with it, but lost it into Scott Drinkwater.
Cowboys put a good kick in, Manly to force the ball out of yardage. Reuben Garrick didn't want to take that bomb on the full though. Nearly cost the home side.
Josh Aloiai loses the ball for Manly. First chance comes to nothing.
Set restart for Manly - ruck infringement.
Both sides get through their opening sets. Cowboys reshuffle now with Cotter out, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown IN starting prop, Brendan Elliot on the bench with Ben Condon as the 18th man.
Gerard Sutton blows time on and we're off and running on Friday night footy!
The late drama here - Reuben Cotter has limped off the field in the WARM-UP. This is a late plot twist.
Round 15 continues with a trip to the Northern Beaches for a critical match. Manly are a win outside the eight and this match is turning into a critical one for the home side's chances of making the finals. North Queensland will be looking to solidify their position in the top four with a win tonight. As far as the late mail is concerned, Manly is unchanged, while the Cowboys have one change, Coen Hess starts in place of Connelly Lemuelu. Kickoff in just under 20 minutes.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Gerard Sutton
Touch Judges: Dave Munro, Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
Video Referee: Chris Butler
MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES (26)
Tries: Christian Tuipulotu (2), Reuben Garrick, Lachlan Croker (2)
Conversions: Reuben Garrick (3/5)
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS (28)
Tries: Valentine Holmes (2), Jeremiah Nanai, Reece Robson, Connelly Lemuelu
Conversions: Valentine Holmes (4/5)